Evolution
by WynterC
Summary: Sequel to "Full Circle". Everyone is just trying to stay sane. Bella & Jacob are on a quest to save Edward from the Volturi. The Pack is falling apart. Alice is playing guardian angel to a 9 year old. And Carlisle is desperate to keep his family safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Evolution**

Chapter 1

**A Starting Point**

**Author Notes: **_Evolution _is the sequel to my previous story, _Full Circle_. Evolution is defined as any process of formation or growth. If we live, we grow: Mentally, physically, spiritually, chronologically. For some the process is painful; for others it is exhilarating. As always — happy reading!

**Disclaimer: All characters associated with **_**Twilight **_**belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended at any time.**

**Chapter Notes: **

"May the frightened cease to be afraidAnd those bound be freed;May the powerless find power,And may the people think of benefiting one another." Santideva

**CPOV**

"_You must do everything in your power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for my Edward_**.**"

_Elizabeth Masen's emerald eyes sparkled with tears. Her voice, though weak from the disease, held a great deal of strength. Her son, Edward, lay motionless in the single bed next to hers. _

_A nurse hurried past me to attend another physician with a dying patient. I glanced down at Elizabeth. Her hair, which I was sure once shined a bright bronze, was now dull and slick with sweat. Her frail body jerked upward with insistent coughing. Once she'd subsided, I leaned down and wiped the droplets of blood from the side of her pale face._

"_Please." She could only manage a whisper now. Her lungs struggled to keep sucking air. "He's a good boy."_

"_I'm sure he is," I said. I smiled reassuringly though we both knew the end was near. I patted her limp hand as it rested on the bed sheet. "You need not worry about him. Save your strength."_

_She turned her head to look at Edward. A tear slipped from her eye and landed on the pillow. _

"_So much…he hasn't done. His father…was never around. Always…just me and…Edward. My dear, sweet boy." She turned her eyes to me again. "Please, you must do…everything."_

"_I will. I have hope they will find a vaccine soon."_

_She shook her head. "Not soon…enough. Promise me. Give me peace." I stared down at my own dying patient. Grief engulfed my chest. "You must do…everything…in your power. What others can…cannot do, that is…what you must do for my…for my Edward. Promise me, doctor."_

_I didn't know if it was the delirium that came with the disease or if maybe she knew my secret. I glanced over at Edward. He was young. Only about seven years younger than when I had been changed. My journey had been testing. _But with me helping him…. _It was a crazy thought. Could I, in good conscience, give him another chance at life? One he hadn't asked for? Yet the thought of having a companion — a son — was inspiring. And he wouldn't be alone as I had been. _

"_I promise," I said, without further thought. "I will do as you have asked."_

_Her smile was sad. Then she closed her eyes to rest. "He's a good boy," she mumbled. "He has such a kind heart. And smart, like his father. Thank you."_

My reminiscing was interrupted as Esme's arms wrapped around my waist from behind. My reflection stared back at me as I stared out the bay window watching the steadily falling snow. It was a new year, though I had been daydreaming of years gone by. Thinking if some of my decisions in life were right or wrong. Wondering if I even wanted an honest answer.

"I wish I were going with you," Esme muttered against my back where her check rested. "We haven't ever been apart."

I turned around in her grasp to pull her closer to me.

"You have no idea how much I wish you were coming with me. But we can't trust Rosalie alone with the Quileute. Someone has to stay and maintain order." I ran my fingers through her soft golden hair. She was more than what I'd ever deserved.

Her topaz eyes met mine as she said, "We have to believe that everything will be okay and that we will be back together soon. All of us."

"I'm going to do my best to see it fulfilled."

Our lives had been in a downward spiral since Halloween night when the Volturi kidnapped Bella. Tanya and Kate were still angry with me for killing Irina even though it was to protect Edward. Out of vengeance, they went to the Volturi and told them Bella was still human and we had allied ourselves with werewolves. Edward figured out where they were holding Bella, and he went on a suicide mission to rescue her — taking only Jacob Black with him. According to Jacob, Edward exchanged his life for Bella's and revealed the secret that the Quileute were not true werewolves but shape-shifters, which caused the Volturi to turn on Tanya and Kate for their deceit and eliminate them. Jacob ran off with Bella and Edward with the Volturi.

Christmas, Edward sent word through another vampire warning us that the Volturi was going to attempt to snag Olivia, Alice's eight year old great-great niece, because she had the gift of foreseeing just like Alice. It let us know that Edward was alive but that something had changed within him. I made the decision to split our family up: Alice, Jasper, and Emmett were going to watch over Olivia, Esme and Rosalie were going to stay in Forks to help the Quileute who were still in danger of the Volturi, and I was going to see what could be done on getting my son back home.

Esme and I said goodbye, I grabbed my suitcase by the door, and left her for the first time since 1921.

Since the death of Tanya and Kate, Eleazar and Carmen moved to Alberta, Canada near the Caribou Mountains. They no longer felt free and safe in Denali. They were the only surviving members from the Denali Coven. Eleazar had not denied in assisting me, but he'd refused to meet anywhere near Forks. Thus the reason for my trip.

Their new home was small and nestled deep within the woods, surrounded by snow covered fir trees. A dim light shined through the blinds in the front window. I gave a firm knock on the front door and was instantly greeted by a lovely vampire with long, thick dark hair.

"Carlisle." Carmen greeted me with a hug. "Please come in."

Eleazar stood behind her with a warm smile on his face. We greeted with a handshake.

Carmen showed me to my room. A set of French doors led to the backside of the property where the mountains were in view just above the tree tops. A king size carved Anglo poster tester bed and a pair of wing-back chairs occupied the room. I set my suitcase down and followed her back into the sitting room.

"Are you hungry?" Eleazar asked. Carmen took a seat next to him on the tan suede sofa.

I smiled as I settled across from them. "No. Maybe in the morning we can hunt?"

"Of course. How is Esme handling things?"

"Our friends turned on us and then were killed. Our son is with the Volturi. Our family has been separated to protect others. How do you think she feels?" I could not keep the bitterness from my voice. Eleazar had once been a guard for the Volturi though he had not been with them for a couple of centuries.

Carmen frowned. "It has been hard on us too, Carlisle. We've lost everyone including our home."

"It wasn't as if we didn't try to warn him," Eleazar said. Edward had went to them for assistance in regards to the location of the cabin that was owned by the Denali Coven, in which the Volturi had held Bella hostage.

"But you didn't help him either." Rancor sharpened my voice.

"You would have us be killed, also?" Carmen asked quietly.

"Of course not." I let out an wearisome sigh. These were not my enemies. My anger subsided. "You know I wish no ill harm on either of you. But you could have stalled him. You could have called me. You could have refused to give him what he wanted."

Eleazar gave me a sympathetic smile. "Carlisle, if I hadn't freely given Edward what he was looking for, he would have simply reached into my mind and took it. As soon as he left, I should have called you, but I'm afraid it still would have been too late. Besides, if you or anyone else would have shown up, it could have ended very badly."

"It _did _end very badly."

"Edward is alive, Bella is alive, and your shape-shifter friend is alive. The same cannot be said for Tanya and Kate. But they should have thought twice before trying to use the Volturi in order to get their vengeance." Eleazar leaned forward. His arms rested on his knees. "I've never turned anyone, so I can't imagine how you are feeling right now. You know I will do what I can to help you, but I will not endanger Carmen's life. I hope you understand, dear friend."

"I will not ask of you more than you can give."

Carmen poured each of us a glass of wine as we sat and reminisced about our days before vampirism. Both Carmen and Eleazar spoke of their homeland Spain, and how had it not been for their change they never would have met. Stories that have been shared over and over again through the centuries. It was clear that each of us were trying to postpone the topic on which I was there to discuss. I didn't mind the delay. A bit of normalcy was nice.

As morning began to approach, we departed through the backdoor into the snow covered forest. We quickly came across a herd of caribou — each of us picking out one big enough to satiate our hunger. It would have been nice to have been able to hunt a grizzly but they were in hibernation during the winter. After the hunt, we returned to the house to clean up and get down to the business at hand.

"Alright, Carlisle," Eleazar began. His eyes were glowing a bright amber. "What is it you plan on doing?"

"I need allies," I said matter-of-factly. "Strong allies who will stand beside me against the Volturi."

"You plan on fighting them?" His dark eyebrows slanted to a frown. "No offense, Carlisle, but if Edward freely left with them as you say Mr. Black has said, you have no grounds to start a war."

"You know as well as I do that they forced Edward to join them. They used Bella as bait. They have been gunning my family for some time now."

"And you have proof to back your allegations?"

I averted his questioning stare.

"Carlisle," Carmen said in a softer tone. "It was Tanya and Kate who reported you to the Volturi."

I shook my head in aggravation. "I don't have solid proof, but I have a gut feeling that they want to take my family apart piece by piece." Both continued to stare at me with concern. "Look, neither of you were there when Victoria attacked with her newborns."

"And we have apologized for that," Eleazar said.

I waived his comment aside. "What I'm trying to say is the Volturi was quick to arrive _after _the fight. Not before or during, but after the battle was finished."

Eleazar grabbed his chin between his index and thumb. His lips thinned into a frown. "They wanted your family to be defeated instead."

"Or at least be minimized."

"But why?" Carmen asked. Her eyes rounded in shock.

"Because the Olympic Coven is large and powerful," Eleazar said. "You have a mind reader, a diviner, and an emotion manipulator. And let's not forget the cunning mind of Rosalie and the brute strength of Emmett. A very dangerous coven indeed."

Carmen gave a shaky laugh. "Surely the Volturi aren't afraid of seven vampires. Eleazar, there are other covens who also have members with various talents."

"Yes, but none have leaders who can lead as well as our dear friend, Carlisle. But still, we have no proof. I know you don't want to hear this, but they do have a reason to take Isabella." I opened my mouth to argue but he rushed on saying, "Edward had promised she would be changed when they returned from Volterra — two years ago. You know the rules regarding humans."

"I know they have humans working for them who know our secret. Yet it takes years before Aro, Caius, and Marcus decide whether or not the person is worthy to join the court or be _fed _to the court." Several faces crossed my memory. I had wanted to forget those times with them. From the look on Eleazar's face, he seemed to be having the same flashbacks. "There was never a threat of exposure. Why the rush for Bella to end her humanity? Was it a power play to make sure we understood who was in charge of our species? If they were so concerned about Bella being human, then why let her walk away with a shape-shifter and take Edward instead? Edward would never had agreed to join them if Bella's life was still in danger."

"There haven't been any further attacks?" Carmen asked.

"No. Jacob took her to an undisclosed location. I've spoken to him recently and there hasn't been one hint of a vampire being close by." Though we all knew that could change very quickly. The Volturi could not be trusted.

"I have to say it baffles me why they allowed her to go," Eleazar said.

"Why not go and speak with Aro?" Carmen asked. "He seems the most reasonable out of the three."

"If I was guaranteed that I could walk away with my head still attached, I would agree to have a private meeting with him. Although Aro is the most reasonable, he is also the deadliest. He's calculating. I don't want to encourage them any further about Bella. Out of sight, out of mind." I shook my head in frustration. "I need allies. If I had support from other covens, even nomads, it might have enough to confront them."

"They would see it as rebellion. That's against the law and punishable by death." Eleazar would know; he used to be an enforcer.

My temper flared. "We can't just sit around and watch each other get picked off. The Denali Coven was first, they are working on the Olympic Coven, then who? The Irish Coven? The Amazon Coven? Where and when will it stop? Until the Volturi…" The realization slammed into me as if I had been hit by a Mack truck while still in my human form.

"What?" Carmen looked from me to Eleazar. By the reaction on his face, he had come to the same conclusion.

"Power. They want all the power. It was all a ploy to get Edward to join them. They never intended to kill Bella. It was trick. Now Edward has given them information on Alice's great-great niece who also happens to have inherited her gift of foreseeing," I said.

A shiver ran down my spine. Throughout history, there have been people who were oppressed by vicious, power hungry tyrants. I had lived through some of them: Robespierre, Stalin, Hitler, and Hussein just to name a few. Suddenly, it wasn't just about getting Edward back with his family. It was about containing a powerful regime — one that planned on becoming more powerful daily.

"That can't happen." Fear, stark and vivid, glittered in Carmen's eyes.

"They've already demolished the Denali Coven." Eleazar put his arm around Carmen to calm her nerves. "Now they are making sure the Olympic Coven is not a threat. The other covens are too small. They won't worry about them."

"Yet," I said. "We have to stand together against them. Not let them bully us."

"What? Us two and what is left of your family? Carlisle, that's suicide."

"I'm sure there are others who will join us. The Egyptians."

Eleazar slowly nodded his head. "Yes. That is if they have grown a backbone since the last time they faced the Volturi." His eyes narrowed in my direction. "What about the Romanians? They too would like to see the Volturi overthrown."

"I don't know if I trust them. I'll have to think about it and ask around before I include them."

"You two are serious?" Carmen asked still looking shocked.

"Darling, Carlisle is right. The longer we allow them to grow, the more powerful they will become until they will be unstoppable."

"Who says they are not unstoppable now?" Her voice raised in panic.

Eleazar kissed her lightly on the lips. I glanced down at my wedding ring missing Esme terribly.

"We will never know if we don't try," he whispered to her. He held her face between his hands. "I don't want to just exist. What is the point of living if you can't fight for what you believe? But if you tell me to back down, not to fight, I will do as you say."

"I cannot request such a thing from you, Eleazar. Where you go, I go. The only thing that frightens me is losing you."

"And I you." They embraced. When they pulled apart, Carmen grabbed our glasses and went to refill them. Eleazar smiled and leaned back against the couch cushions. "Alright, we have the Egyptians on our list, who else?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**A Hard Day's Night**

**Disclaimer: All characters associated with the Twilight series belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended at any time.**

**LPOV**

"You trying osmosis?" My head jerked up from my opened English literature book at the sound of Seth's voice. "How's that working for ya?" he asked, moving things around in the refrigerator looking for something to eat.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "Not as well as I'd hoped."

Seth unwrapped the opened package of bologna and started making a couple of sandwiches. He slapped on some mayonnaise, squeezed out some mustard, added sliced tomatoes and a couple of lettuce leaves, then sat down at the table next to me. He offered one to me but I shook my head no. He shrugged and took a huge bite.

"Seems to me like you're lighting the candle at both ends," he said around a mouthful of sandwich.

I had signed up for the spring semester at Peninsula College in Port Angeles taking prerequisite courses — sixteen credit hours — making me a full time student . The classes weren't hard, but staying awake through them and completing the homework was difficult. Not wanting to ask Mom — and refusing to go to Charlie — for anything, I had also taken a full time job at Crawley's Bar & Grill as a waitress. Then there was my obligated, unpaid, important job of being a Protector and patrolling for vampires at night. My plate was full and I was becoming cranky. Well, more cranky than usual.

"It wouldn't be so bad if everyone was able to pull their own weight. But since we have a member who is dead, one who is tramping only God knows where, and one who is milking an injury, I have no choice." Maybe if I'd had more than just a few hours of sleep I would have been more considerate and actually thought about my words before I opened my big mouth.

Seth stopped chewing and pushed his plate from him as if he had lost his appetite. "I'm stronger. I've only got a few more months left of physical therapy. When Doctor Cullen comes back —"

"Where have they gone?" At the sound of the Cullens' name I became instantly awake and alert. They were vampires and couldn't be trusted. However, my little brother considered them friends. It was thanks to their kind that he'd had his arm ripped from his body. Of course it was also because of Doctor Cullen that his arm was salvageable.

Seth shrugged a shoulder and pulled his plate back to him. "Not sure. Rosalie and Mrs. Cullen are still here. She said they didn't know when to expect him back but would let me know when he's home."

"Wait." I closed my eyes and shook my head attempting to put my jumbled thoughts in order in my sleep deprived mind. "Seth, you're not even supposed to be speaking with the Cullens."

Last year a lot of crap happened to our pack. We lost a member, Brady, and Emily and Sam had lost their unborn child all thanks to a vampire who was hell bent on making us extinct because some in our pack had killed her mate. One of our own, a shaman, had helped her in order to gain immortality because he was dying. The brain tumor hadn't helped his rational thinking. Although the Cullens assisted in saving our pack, there were still those of us who believed they were involved in the attack to begin with or at least knew about it and hoped that it would have decreased our number. But when Queen Bella's life became threatened, they stepped in to help. Because of the suspicions floating around, Sam had said our ties with the Cullens were cut. And when our Alpha made a rule, we had to comply.

"Embry said I should find out when Doctor Cullen would be available for me to phase. He doesn't think it's a good idea to do it without him. And like you said, you guys need all the help you can get."

"Embry?" I stared at him, baffled. "What does Embry have to do with any of this? Sam gave an order, Seth. Just because you haven't been phasing doesn't mean you can disobey an order." Come to think of it, he shouldn't have been able to. Did that mean Seth was no longer part of the pack?

My eyes flashed to the apple shaped clock on the wall. Damn, I was probably going to be late for work. I jumped up from the table and slammed my book shut.

"Just do me a favor and stay away from anyone affiliated with the Cullens," I snapped on my way to the door. I snatched my black backpack off the floor and slung it over my shoulder, stiff armed the screen door open, and hurried outside. The cold air hit me with force but it felt good on my warm skin. I took off running, hoping to make up some time.

Crawley's was near the beach and less than thirty minutes from my house. Since it was off season, Mr. Crawley wasn't a stickler about employees being late as long as they showed up. I had only been working just shy of a month and had quickly become one of his best waitresses. It wasn't because I was overly friendly and everyone liked me, but because I was fast and could juggle two trays full of food. Plus I hadn't broken a single dish since my hire date, which happened to be a record.

It was Friday night. The bar was in full swing and the tables were packed. It gave me little time to think about my conversation with Seth. It also gave me little time to think about my relationship (or lack thereof) with Eli Marshall. I hadn't seen him since Christmas when he had accused me of still having feelings for Sam. He couldn't have been further from the truth.

Once my shift was over, I headed for my next job. I placed my backpack near the edge of the woods out of sight. It was easy for the guys to phase. They walked around with no shirts, sticking their chest out like freaking peacocks showing off their tail feathers. I chuckled as I started taking off my clothes picturing their expressions if I walked around with just my shorts on. God, they had it so much easier. As soon as I removed my undergarments, I phased and hurried off in search of my partner. I slowed when I saw the Venetian red wolf.

_Who we running with tonight, _I asked Collin. He and Brady had been brainwashed by Orenda, the shaman who had helped that parasite Irina. Brady had paid with his life at the hands of Edward Cullen. Collin was still paying. He had been labeled untrustworthy therefore making it mandatory that two of our pack had to patrol with him. He understood. Strange and upsetting, he didn't trust himself either.

_You're late. _I turned at the sound of Sam's voice. His dark eyes shimmered against his ebony fur.

_Busy night. _I turned my head and sniffed the cold air. Of all the ones to be stuck with tonight, it had to be Sam.

_Apparently_, he replied. _Where do you think they've gone? _he asked meaning the Cullens.

All of us agreed that telepathy was one ability we wished we didn't have. Sure it came in handy during a fight, but it made keeping a secret or personal issues personal, impossible.

_I don't know but it's not a permanent leave. Momma Vamp and Blondie is still here keeping watch over the house. Do you want Seth to find out about the others?_

_No. He shouldn't even be talking to them. I'll send Jared to snoop around, find out what they're up to. It looks like I need to have a chat with Embry, too. _Embry made Sam nervous. It was mostly my fault. I was the one in the beginning who kept bringing up the unsaid mystery of just who Embry's father was. It could have been either Jacob, Quil, or Sam's dad.

_I'll talk to him, _I said.

_Why? _

I turned my head to glare at Sam. _Because it was my little brother he was encouraging to go against pack rules. Besides, you have your hands full trying to fill in Jacob's empty spot, Jared is tied up with Kim making wedding plans, Quil would probably only joke around, and you can't expect Paul to be tactful._

_And you can?_

I was too angry to feel hurt. _Don't push me, Sam. I'm offering my help. Do you want it? A simple yes or no will do._

_He needs to understand that it's best for all of us if we distance ourselves from them. It will be safer and less confusion._

_I couldn't agree more._

Sam's ears twitched back and forth. _I'll take Collin with me and head north._ He didn't wait for me for my clearance. His black form disappeared in a flash with Collin right behind him.

Thankfully, it was an uneventful night. I was so tired by the time the sun started to rise, I couldn't see straight. I went to my backpack, phased, changed, and walked home. I was able to send a text to Embry before I went to sleep telling him to meet me at work later when he was free.

The alarm clock woke me up too soon. I whacked it one good time and rolled out of bed. I had enough time to grab a quick shower and grab something to eat before heading off to Crawley's.

The sound of bands and cheering fans blared through the speakers of the television. It was Saturday, game day, and Charlie and Billy were in their usual spots critiquing every play. They both nodded a greeting.

"Heard from Jacob?" I asked Billy. I never inquired about Bella.

"He's doing good."

_I bet he is_, I thought to myself. I left them to their game and went to the kitchen to see what I could snatch to eat on the go.

"Aren't you going to eat with us?" Mom stood at the counter chopping some vegetables for a fresh salad.

"Can't," I said frowning at my choices in the fridge. "I have to go to work." I shut the door and walked over to the pantry.

"Lee-Lee, you haven't slowed down since Jacob and Bella left."

I grabbed a couple of sour cream and chives crackers. "I'll be able to slow down one day. No big deal."

"I think it's a big deal." Mom put down her knife and followed me out the door. "I think you should talk to Sam and let him know how bogged down you are right now. Maybe he'll give you some slack."

I whirled around. "Do you know how that will make me look? It's bad enough I'm the only girl in a all boys club. I'm not going to ask for special treatment."

"I just worry about you. I never see you. The only time you're home is when you're sleeping."

"Mom, please don't worry about me." My tone lightened. "I'm fine — really. I'm loving my classes, I'm making great tips. I get to run through the forest and keep great company every night. What more could a girl wish for?"

"Have you spoken to Eli at all?" I held my tongue and gave her a blank stare. She shook her head. "I just want you to be happy and safe."

"I'll be okay." I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and ran off towards Crawley's.

The first couple of hours were slow. It would just be a matter of time before the crowd would start to thicken. Three of my seven tables were occupied. I had just finished making my round with refills when Embry walked through the door. I waved him over to a corner booth in my section, and went to get us a glass of water.

"Liz, I'm gonna take a quick break," I called to the waitress who had the section next to mine. She rolled her eyes and popped her gum. Being better than my fellow coworkers didn't help me make friends. I took her gesture as an okay and went to sit down with Embry.

Embry was the quietest out of the pack. If it hadn't been for me, chances are he would have been the outsider regardless of his close friendship with Jacob and Quil. Even though his father (whoever he was) was undoubtedly Quileute, it still didn't change the fact that his mother was from the Makah tribe.

"What's up?" he asked taking a long swallow from the glass of water I'd handed him.

"You shouldn't be encouraging Seth to talk to the Cullens." I was being nice but blunt.

"Why not?"

"Because Sam has made it clear that we are to cut all our ties with them. That includes phone calls and doctor visits." Sam would have to find us a new physician. I hoped it wouldn't be a veterinarian. How embarrassing would that be?

"Sam never made it official or else I wouldn't have been able to speak with them myself."

My mouth dropped open. "You've been talking to them?"

"I've been over to see them a few times," he replied coolly.

"What?" I yelled out. Embry's eyebrows shot up in surprise of my outburst. My voice became low and threatening. "You sneaky, disloyal, leech loving bastard."

"Leah." He leaned back and crossed his arms over his broad chest. A thin frown formed on his lips. "It's not like I'm sleeping in the same bed with them. I'm just visiting."

"Sam said—"

"Look, let's get real." He leaned forward placing his slender, tanned hands flat on the table. "If it is the Volturi who are stalking our domain, we are going to need assistance and it's best to come from those who know who it is we are fighting. That's common war strategy. I'm doing all of us a favor by keeping a close relationship with the Cullens."

"Where have you been in the past two years?" I whispered harshly. "What part of 'they can't be trusted' do you not understand, Embry? My God, you were almost killed last year. Seth lost his damn arm." My mouth clamped shut when I realized my voice had steadily gotten louder.

"The Cullens aren't the enemy. They had nothing to do with what happened last year. You're too smart to listen and believe Paul's cock-and-bull story, Leah."

"It doesn't matter. Sam's not going to want them involved."

"Who's to say Sam has the last word?" There was defiance in his tone.

"Because he's our Alpha." I squinted at him wondering if something was wrong. This didn't sound like our quiet, fun-loving Embry. Just what _had _happened when he had been held prisoner by the shaman and vampire?

Liz stopped in front of our booth. "Break's over." Her dyed blond pointy tail whipped into the air when she turned and stomped away.

Embry started to slide out of his seat, but my hand caught him before he got up. "You need to be careful. Sam's not going to like this conversation and frankly, I don't either. Since what happened to Emily, he's wary of everyone. And with Jacob being MIA, Sam's tolerance is stretched thin."

"Warning acknowledged." He smiled. "Catch you later."

Almost every table was now occupied with customers. I needed to hurry and get some orders in. I rushed to the kitchen, dropped off our glasses, grabbed my ticket book and pencil from my apron, and went back to work.

Five of my tables were now full. Liz had gotten drinks for two of them, so I headed to the other three to get their drink order. I stopped dead in my tracks as my eyes fell on Eli and a pretty blond girl across from him. They seemed to be engrossed in an intimate conversation. Shock yielded quickly to fury. I ignored the burn in my chest and attended to my other customers first. Eli was last.

"What can I get you two to drink?" I asked slow and carefully hoping to mask my anger.

"Leah, I didn't know you worked here," Eli said lifting his gold-green eyes to me. "This is Clair Holman. Clair, Leah Clearwater."

Clair. Beauty Queen Clair. Her complexion was unflawed; white and illusive pink. She smiled like an angel with perfect teeth. Her sapphire blue eyes stood out beneath her black lashes. And not one highlighted blond hair was out of place. She was my total opposite and I hated her.

I tapped my ticket pad with my pencil. "Drinks?"

"I'll take a water with lemon." God, even her voice sounded perfect.

"Beer," Eli said.

"You guys want an appetizer?"

"No, thanks."

I turned on my heel and went back to the kitchen. I was actually trembling. A bitter war raged inside of me. Part of me wanted to throw down and pull every perfect hair from her head. Part of me wanted to scream and cry out in heartache at his betrayal. But then there was another small part of me that was thankful he had moved on and had ceased in his attempts to win a heart he couldn't have.

A flash of loneliness pierced my heart. I closed my eyes, my heart aching with pain. There was that week I had shared with him in Berkley when I thought it could work between us. It was the best week of my life. I didn't worry about vampires or phasing. The way he'd looked at me made me feel like a woman and not just another one of the guys. When he kissed me…God, it was like no one or nothing else existed but me and him.

I leaned against the wall with my eyes shut and took two deep breaths before opening them. He was better off with Clair Holman. She could give him what he needed: stability, attention, warmth, a family. My life was too chaotic and unsafe for him. I doubted he could cope.

With my mind resolved but my heart still hurting, I pushed away from the wall and went to collect my customers' drinks. I would be professional — even friendly with them. After all, it was for the best. I wanted him to forget about me.

Actions are easier said than done. Anger singed at the corner of my control as I watched them gaze into each others eyes. They laughed and joked like a normal couple. I didn't offer them dessert when I slapped the ticket on their table. The sooner they left, the better chance they each had of leaving with all body parts and clothes intact.

I watched from the shadows as they stood to leave. She grabbed her purse and he motioned for her to go in front of him. He was always such a gentleman. He glanced around the room as he adjusted his jacket. My pulse raced. Could he be searching for me? I dismissed the question with an angry shake of my head. Why would he have been looking for me when what he wanted was right in front of him. To rub more salt in the wound?

My mood never recovered for the rest of the night. My customers didn't get a friendly smile and I didn't get a generous tip. I snapped at my coworkers and they began to distance themselves even further. I heard Liz whisper to one that it must be PMS. _No_, I thought, _it's Eli Marshall and my screwed up life_.

I was no better when I went to patrol.

_Uh, maybe you should talk to one of your female friends and get their opinion, _Sam said as I approached.

My growl was deep but non threatening. _Yeah, like I have a ton of them._

_Emily would listen. You know that._

I nodded my head. It would seem awkward, but I could talk to Emily about guy trouble. However, there would always be that bridge no other female could cross with me. It was my genetics that separated me from all other females. The guys had each other to turn to with problems. I had no one. Something Sam could sympathize with since he had been the first to phase and had no one to help him through it.

_I'll talk to Quil and see if he knows what's going on with Embry, _Sam said thankfully changing the topic.

_You don't think Orenda put him under some type of a spell while he was being held prisoner, do you?_

_Jared and I weren't. It could have effected his psyche though. If he opens up to anyone it would be Quil._

_Or Delilah, _Embry's imprintee. We were all surprised over the summer to learn that Embry had imprinted on the sex vixen, Delilah Flores. He seemed to have tamed the femme fatale.

_I'll talk to Quil first. If you hear or see anything, let me know._

_As if I have a choice._

He chuckled. _You're off tomorrow. I'll see you next week. Call me if you find anything. _He turned and motioned for Collin, who had been quietly watching the forest, to follow him.

I began walking the familiar path. Would there ever be a day when we didn't have to be on guard? When we didn't have to watch each others back while making sure a knife wasn't protruding out of our own? When we could live normal lives? I wasn't even sure I could remember what normal felt like anymore. Oh yeah. I had felt it when I was at Berkley.


	3. Chapter 3 Werewolves in Paris

Chapter 3

**Werewolves in Paris**

**Disclaimer: All characters associated with **_**Twilight **_**belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended at any time.**

**JPOV**

As plans go, ours was pretty sketchy. Bella was determined that she was going to go to Volterra to rescue Edward, and I was determined to keep her from getting killed. Just how a shape-shifter and a human were going to walk into a compound full of bloodsuckers to save a bloodsucker who was probably beyond saving…there laid the problem. I was hoping beyond hope to have a secret weapon, but finding and acquiring that secret weapon just added another problem to my already long list.

Bella and I left Key West in the middle of January. We said our final goodbyes to my boss and his wife. There was no doubt in my mind that I would not be returning. I would either go home to La Push or I wouldn't be going back at all. We landed in Paris, France early on Tuesday morning and took a taxi to the cheapest hotel I could find on the internet.

Bella did all the talking with her translator book in hand. People tended to be friendlier towards a soft spoken female rather than a large male with dark shifting eyes. I didn't like being on foreign soil. Truthfully, I didn't like being so far away from allies.

The clerk babbled on in French while pointing in various directions. Bella politely nodded then turned and went up the stairs. I followed behind her with the bags. She stopped on the third floor and went four doors down stopping in front of the door on the right. She unlocked the room and we paused glancing inside.

"One bed," she said with her thin eyebrow arched.

"At least it's not a twin." I joked. She sighed and stepped inside. "I'll make a pallet on the floor," I grumbled.

"Don't worry about it. We're both adults. Besides, I doubt this thing puts out much heat," she said lightly tapping the radiator with her foot. "Not like we're actually here on vacation."

I placed the bags on the full sized bed and looked around the room. It was small. The bed was pushed up against a wall. Three steps in the opposite direction was a scratched and chipped wooden dresser next to the only window overlooking the back alley. It wasn't the Ritz but it was affordable and met our basic needs. I grimaced thinking if she had been with the Cullens it would have been a five star luxury hotel.

"It's not that bad," she said as if reading my mind. I tossed her bag of toiletries to her and began placing my clothes in the bottom drawer of the dresser.

"Explain to me again what we are exactly looking for?" she asked from the bathroom.

"The bloodsuckers have an enemy. If we can find them and get their help, we might make it out of this nightmare alive."

She walked back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "I thought you guys were the enemy."

"These are _true _werewolves. Carlisle called them Children of the Moon."

"And they are in Paris?"

I shut the drawer and turned around. "I don't know. Carlisle said he met one once while he was in Paris."

"When was that?"

I shrugged my shoulders as I grabbed my bag of toiletries off the bed. "I think he said around 1804."

"1804? So we're looking for a needle in a haystack," she said following me to the bathroom. "We don't even know what we're looking for. Jacob, we could be wasting time."

"And we could be finding others who want those leeches dead as mush as us." I lightly placed my hands on her shoulders. "Bella, we agreed that we were going to need help to get him — us out alive. These…people could be our only chance to do that. Without their help we don't have a snowballs chance in Hell."

"I know, but we've already wasted so much time. What if…what…." She didn't need to finish her thought out loud. I didn't think we were going to find Edward alive but there was no way I could bear to tell her and watch her hope die. I had watched her die enough the past few years.

"If they'd wanted him dead, that blond leech would've killed him in Alaska."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "So we need to talk to the locals and see if they have any stories about werewolf sightings?"

I turned back around and looked for a sanitary place for my toothbrush. "Don't use the word werewolf. That might make them shy away. We'll use the term large dog."

She walked back in the room and started putting away her clothes.

"Why do you think Carlisle didn't tell you the truth about your orgin when he found out?"

Carlisle and Edward had kept it a secret that me and the others in the pack weren't werewolves but shape-shifters. A truth they'd discovered after I was seriously injured by a newborn in a battle to help keep Bella safe from a vengeful bloodsucker, Victoria. While Carlisle was treating me, he decided to steal some of my blood and test it. Since he was the only one in his family to have actually come across a real werewolf, he had noted some dissimilarities between us and the Children of the Moon. Chances were he would have never told me if I hadn't called him back in December and demanded to know what that blond bitch with the Volturi was talking about — just before she ordered the death of those other two bloodsuckers back in November.

"Knowledge is power," I said. "To know something about your enemy that your enemy doesn't even know gives one side a lot of leverage. Very helpful in case of a war."

"Have you talked to Sam about it?"

I shook my head and laid down on the bed. The springs squeaked under my weight. "It's not something I want to discuss over the phone. Besides, he's been sounding preoccupied lately."

The few times I had talked to Sam, he sounded weary and tensed. He wasn't sharing any information with me. I knew something was happening back home, but no one would tell me anything. Dad told me not to worry about it and concentrate on Bella's safety. Quil and Embry acted like nothing was wrong, it was useless to try and talk to Paul, Jared was never around, Seth didn't know anything, and Leah was always in a foul mood. The only one who said anything was Emily. She had hinted that something wasn't right and I needed to hurry home. Other than that, she couldn't (or wouldn't) elaborate.

Once our bags were unpacked, we grabbed our copy of the city map we'd picked up at the airport and headed out to start talking to the locals.

I didn't like the disadvantages of not knowing the land or what people were saying. With our map and translator book open for everyone to see, it was clear we were tourist. Bella would ask in French, "Have you ever heard of someone seeing a very large dog around Paris?" But we had a hard time understanding their answer. By the time we picked up on a couple of words, the person was walking away, giggling and babbling in French. Needless to say our first day was nonproductive.

After a week of doing the same thing every day and every day getting the same results, I was beginning to think Bella was right; we were doing nothing but wasting our time and energy. We no longer needed the map and seldom used the translator.

We changed our approach. We pretended to be young journalist in college working on a story about dogs. What was the biggest dog they had ever seen? Have there been any unusual incidents involving dogs? Have there been any deadly dog attacks? Some people were serious with their answers, actually taking the time to think. Some passed us pretending not to hear or notice. Most, however, laughed and joked at our questions.

"We knew this wasn't going to be easy," Bella said. We had stopped at a café for lunch. She could tell that I was frustrated by our lack of progress. We had been in Paris for almost a month. Beating the streets from sunrise to sunset without so much as a hint about these Children of the Moon. The money I had saved wasn't going to last forever.

"I think we should pack up and travel east — towards Romania. Or we might do better and head north towards England. At least there they speak English."

"Maybe we're going about this all wrong. Let's take some time and do some research so we can better understand what we're looking for."

I gave her a blank stare. "Bella, do you honestly think that what — if anything — we find in a library will help us?" The waitress approached with our food. "Knowing how wrong vampires and werewolves have been perceived, I doubt we will find anything helpful."

"Oh, you Americans looking for a werewolf in Paris, no?" our waitress said with a smile as she placed our plates in front of us. "Ugh, that movie has brought a lot of strange characters into our city over the years. If you are interested, there is a quaint bookstore that carries a variety of paranormal this and that. A friend of mine goes there quite often. He is obsessed with fairies, of all things." She shrugged her shoulders. "They carry all kinds of kooky stuff."

Bella got the name and directions to the bookstore. She saw my doubtful scowl when the waitress left. "Couldn't hurt," she said taking a bite of her sandwich.

We finished our lunch and followed the directions which took us several blocks south of the restaurant down a narrow, empty street. Most of the buildings were abandoned except for an antique shop and a bookstore with a small wooden sign, L'autre côté — The Other Side. A small bell jingled when we entered.

"Bonjour," a girl called from out of sight.

"Bonjour," Bella called back. "Uh…nous regardons juste."

A girl with long burgundy hair emerged from a room behind the register dusting her hands on her jeans. "Okay. Aide vous-même."

I glanced at Bella. "She said we could help ourselves." We both smiled and headed to the back of the store.

Nothing seemed in order. There were books on shelves, tables, and the floor. "I could get lost for hours in here," Bella said. _I could go crazy having to _spend _hours in here, _I thought to myself.

We decided to split up. She took one end and I took the other, neither of us sure what we were looking for. The doorbell went off several times as my eyes roamed over titles of books covering every genre. Two hours later we met in the middle.

"Anything?" Bella asked. Her hands were empty.

"A couple of fairy tales about magical creatures and monsters. Does that count?"

"I guess we'll move on to the next row."

I shook my head and whispered, "I don't think we're going to find what we need here. We need to move east or north and quit wasting time in Paris."

Her eyebrows drew together in a frown. "Since we're here, we might as well keep looking for something."

"Bella, we—"

The girl from earlier stepped around the corner with her arms full of books. She stopped and watched us curiously. "Americans?" she asked. She had a wonderful voice, soft and clear. There was a tingling in the pit of my stomach, a sure sign that something was wrong.

"Yes," Bella answered. "We're studying journalism and working on a paper about dog attacks in Paris."

Her full lips eased into a smile showing perfect white teeth. "There are no dog attacks in America?" Her French accent was not as strong as most of the other natives. There was a hint of some other nationality that I couldn't pinpoint.

Bella blushed. "There are, but we are particularly interested in the ones in Paris."

"More precise, strange dog attacks or sightings," I added. A brief shiver rippled through me when her gray eyes met mine. I took a deep breath and tried to relax. I was immune to any viral infections but I wondered if I may have caught something unusual. _Just my luck to get sick now_, I thought.

She placed the books on the floor. Her eyes roamed over the bookshelves for a moment or two before she turned her attention back to us.

"Is there a particular dog you're interested in?" Bella and I exchanged a glance. The girl laughed as if sincerely amused. "You are not the first Americans to come in here looking for information on werewolves. No need to try and hide your interest."

"Have you ever…heard of any sightings?" Bella asked, her voice low and hopeful.

The girl paused an instant before answering. "I think I can find a book to help you." She motioned with her index finger to follow her. She turned down a row of books, her head swiveled back and forth. Finally she stopped, pulled out a book, and handed it to Bella.

"_The Book of Were-Wolves _by Sabine Baring-Gould." Bella read the cover as she took the book.

"There is a sitting place near the back to read. Look over it. There is no pressure to buy."

Bella and I thanked her. We settled on the tan leather loveseat nestled in the back corner of the store. Bella flipped through the pages while I watched the girl as she began to sort through the stack of books she had abandoned. She moved with grace, placing books into empty slots on the shelves. I found myself studying her profile and her tall, trim body.

"Oh, my God, Jacob. Are you sure we want to find these Children of the Moon?" The strain in Bella's voice caught my attention. I looked over at her, her brown eyes wide with astonishment as she read. "They seem worse than the Volturi, if you can believe anything this author has written."

"Like?"

She huffed with impatience as if I hadn't heard a word she had said — which I hadn't. Her fingers followed the words on the page as she read them out loud. "'—transformed into beasts, and who, in the paroxysms of their madness, committed numerous murders, and devoured their victims.' And he goes on to say that in some cases they did it because they had no control over themselves but some who ate their victims were perfectly sane."

"I wouldn't call eating someone sane."

"I don't think this is such a good idea anymore." Her face was paler than usual.

"If he's talking about eating someone and blood, he could be describing the Volturi and not the werewolves. I mean that book was written…when?"

She glanced at the copyright page. "1865. But he also mentions vampires and ghouls." She looked at me with a new terror in her eyes. "What the hell are ghouls?"

I jerked the book from her and took a look at it myself. "Human hyenas?" I questioned looking at chapter XV.

"Human hyenas? Great. So what's our list now? Vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, shamans, now human hyenas." Her voice rising with panic.

I closed the book and set it aside. I placed my arm over Bella's tense shoulders and pulled her closer to me. "Look, maybe you should go somewhere safe and let me continue the search by myself."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Somewhere safe? And where will that exactly be, Jacob? I go to Forks, the rest of the Cullens will be in danger. I go to La Push, Charlie and the pack will be in danger. I go back to Florida…" She slowly shook her head as tears fell on her pale checks. "I go back to Florida without you and Edward, I risk losing myself."

"Bella, I think I can protect myself against these creatures. But if they are as nasty as this author portrays, I'm not sure I can protect you." That realization scared me more than anything else.

She swallowed hard, lifted her chin, and boldly met my gaze. "I'm not leaving without you _and _without Edward. Silver might not work on your kind, but maybe it will work on werewolves. I'll just have to find a gun and silver bullets."

I leaned my head back on the cushion. "And you'll have to learn to shoot. I think we've had enough supernatural talk for today. Why don't you look around and see if you can find a book you like. For enjoyment instead of survival."

She jabbed me in the ribs with her elbow and managed a fatigued smile as she got off the loveseat to search the bookstore. My eyes roamed around the room looking for the girl with dark red hair. Some of the books she had been shelving were still on the floor. I found her behind the register ringing up a customer.

"Did the book help?" she asked once the customer had left.

I nodded. "She's still looking around," I said glancing briefly over my shoulder.

"Just ring the bell if you need my assistance." She smiled and turned away.

"You…ah, ever been to America?" I blurted out. Inwardly I winced. Why was I feeling like such an adolescent?

She stopped and turned around slowly. Her oval face remained blank. "A few of times."

"To the west coast? That's where I'm from."

"No."

I looked out the store windows. The sun had already set. Sweat dampened my armpits and forehead although it was snowing outside. I turned back to ask another question, but she had disappeared into the room behind the register. I sighed and went to find Bella.

She found me a couple of hours later, sitting on the floor enthralled in an automotive book about foreign cars. "It's getting late and I think they are about ready to close." She had a couple of books in her hands. I put mine away and followed her to the front. The girl was already at the register. She smiled as we approached.

"Ah, you found something you like?" she said taking the books from Bella.

"This store is very…relaxed," Bella said.

She rung up Bella's two books minus the werewolf book we both agreed to leave behind. Bella paid cash. We thanked her for her help, again, and entered the cold night. Bella pulled her coat tighter and I stuck my hands in my pockets as we faced the wind to walk to the end of the side street.

"We missed the bus," I said. "We're only a few blocks from our hotel. Do you want to wait or start walking?"

"At least I'll be generating heat if I'm walking. No sense waiting around and chance turning into a popsicle."

We headed across the street, chatting about nothing of importance. A couple of blocks later, we turned to pass through one of the parks that would lead us only a block from the hotel. Neither of us paid any attention to the guy sitting on the bench wearing the imitation black leather jacket. Two guys jumped me from behind while the guy jumped up and grabbed Bella.

"Remettez votre bourse et pochette et nous won' ; mise à mort de t vous," the guy said way too calmly. Apparently this wasn't his first mugging — assuming that was what it was. Since he spoke French, I had no idea what was going on. He repeated his statement a little more aggressively.

"Americans." Bella's voiced quickly. "Nous sommes des Américains. Nous parlons anglais." Her statement I knew well. We had to use it many times since coming to Paris.

The guy holding Bella chuckled. "Ah. Money. Now." He pushed Bella down on the ground. Since she was no longer in his grasp, I could fight.

I jerked my right arm loose and used it to hit the other guy holding my left arm. Once he was down, I turned back around to the other guy and knocked him out. Humans were a lot easier to fight than vampires and those in my own pack. However, the leader of the three thug gang was smart. Instead of rushing at me, he grabbed Bella again and held a switchblade to the side of her check. I gave a quick shake of my head to tell her not to struggle.

"Tough American." The guy sneered. "Now, I take money and girl."

The first guy I had punched was back unsteadily on his feet. He held my shoulder to steady himself as he reached behind me and pulled my wallet from the back pocket of my jeans then proceeded to place it in his jacket pocket. He gave a sadistic smile before he knocked me in the jaw. I didn't even sway. His lips turned up in a snarl as the guy holding Bella laughed and said something else in French, which seemed to anger the guy in front of me further.

Then everything went from bad to worse.

I saw something silver flash in the moonlight as my assailant produced his own switchblade which he used to stab me in the gut. Bella screamed and was given a hard backhand from the leader knocking her to the ground. He dropped and straddled her while she struggled beneath him. My temper flared. The guy stabbed me again in the shoulder, dragging the blade down to my chest. If I didn't phase soon, the guy was going to mortally wound me, and Bella could be seriously hurt. I didn't want to kill a human, even if they weren't innocent, but I couldn't think of any other way to save us both.

There was a scream so high and piercing it caused chill bumps to run down my spine. The guy paused with the blade up in the air as he was getting ready to jab it in me again. I took a quick glance in Bella's direction. She was scrambling to her feet. _What has she done with the leader? _I wondered.

The blade stained with my blood fell to the ground at my feet. The guy was no longer glaring at me, but was looking behind him with wide, bloodshot eyes. His face ashen color in the moonlight. "Mary sainte, svp m'aident," he whispered.

When he moved, I had a clear view of what he had seen. A massive four legged creature was standing over the immovable body of the leader. The creature jerked its head in the direction of the other guy as he began to scream and run to the woods behind me. At an incredible speed, the creature took off in chase of the runner. It passed me without so much as a glance. The screams died seconds later.

Bella clutched on to my right arm. "Are you alright?" Burst of white air passed her lips as she panted.

I didn't even look down at my torn, bloodied shirt. "We've got to get out of here. Now."

After almost a month in Paris, we had finally found what we were looking for — and ran.


	4. Chapter 4 Children of the Moon

Chapter 4

**Children of the Moon**

**Disclaimer: All characters associated with **_**Twilight **_**belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended at any time.**

**BPOV**

I was completely drained when we got back to the hotel room. Jacob had ended up carrying me most of the way. Apparently I was too slow for him. That and he had to keep catching me as I stumbled over uneven pavement and my own feet. We made it back to our room unnoticed. The hotel receptionist didn't bother to turn from his small television screen, and luckily no one was on the stairs or in the hallway.

Jacob slammed and locked the door behind us. His shirt was ripped and stained with blood. His blood. I collapsed on the bed and shut my eyes to keep the room from spinning around me. The sight and smell of blood made me woozy.

A knob squeaked, followed by sound of water running in the bathroom. A few minutes later I opened my eyes as Jacob pulled out a white cotton t-shirt from the dresser.

"Are you hurt?" I asked. He tugged the shirt on over his head. There wasn't a mark on his chest.

"No. You?" I shook my head.

He stood by the dresser running his hands through his hair while I sat silently on the bed.

"Was that…." I couldn't say the word. I had felt fear before. I had faced arrogant, vindictive vampires. But they had not been as intimidating as the creature I had seen tonight. At least the vampires looked like humans. There was no trace of humanity in what I had seen earlier.

"Yeah. I think so." Jacob's voice was strained with anxiety.

"Now what?"

He gave a deep throaty laugh and sat down next to me on the bed. "I think we definitely need to reevaluate our situation."

I laid my head on his shoulder and his arm instinctively went around me to pull me closer. We were in way over our heads. I'd had visions of grandeur, of us slaying the Volturi and saving Edward. I had done it before. I had saved him two years ago when he had thought I was dead and had willingly went to the Volturi to end his own life. We had made it out together then.

"Maybe I can get Carlisle to transform me —"

"Bella." Jacob growled and pulled away from me.

"Well, at least then I wouldn't be a helpless human. I would be stronger and that would give us more of an advantage. You wouldn't have to be so worried about me getting hurt."

"And you think if you become one of them it will make things easier?" His voice was patronizing. His shoulders tensed under his shirt. "That still wouldn't keep them from killing you. Look, from what those leeches in Alaska said, these bastards have already taken out one coven. A whole coven, Bella. You think we have a prayer? Hell, I don't even think we have a prayer with a handful of vampires, a handful of shape-shifters and that freak of nature we came across tonight." His voice rose as panic set in.

"I'm not giving up on him. He would never give up on me."

He gave a short, bitter laugh as he shook his head. "Sure, sure. Like he didn't give up on you when he left the first time? Or how he walked away so easily this time?"

I closed my eyes, reliving the pain. "He thought he was doing what was best for me."

"And he was. Only problem is he should have stayed away."

"But he didn't." I opened my eyes and boldly met his stare. "He didn't because he couldn't and neither can I. I'm going to do this with or without you or anyone else's help."

Jacob bit his lip and looked away. His hands were balled up into tight fist. "I think we should head back to Forks, meet with the Cullens, and go from there." We had wasted a lot of time in Paris. We had found what we were looking for and knew we were in way over our heads. "Let's try and get some sleep. First thing in the morning, I'll see about getting us a flight home."

I changed into my sleeping pants and shirt, and crawled into bed. I was exhausted and fell asleep instantly.

I don't know if it was the cold or the tapping at the door that woke me. I sat up in bed thinking Jacob had locked himself out of the room. I threw the covers off to get up when a thin piece of paper slipped underneath the door. My heart skipped a beat and I listened for any sound of someone trying to get in. The only sounds I heard were voices in the hallway. I got out of bed and tip-toed to the door. As quietly as possible, I turned the knob and peeked out into the hallway. There was only the couple arguing at the top of the stairs. I shut the door and locked it, then picked up the note and sat on the bed.

_2 hours. Café Merveilleux. _

There was no signature and no further directions. My mind rushed with ideas as I scrambled to put on clothes. Could the note be from that thing we saw last night? Does the Volturi know we're here and what we were up to? Could it be an investigator wanting to talk about the dead thugs? What if it was someone associated with the thugs who somehow knew we were involved (inadvertently or not) in their death's?

I busied myself getting dressed. A short time later, I peered out of the bathroom with a mouth full of toothpaste, and watched as the lock turned on the doorknob. Relief washed over me when Jacob stepped inside.

"I've got some good news," he said smiling. "We've got time for some site seeing. I was only able to grab a couple of tickets to leave out tonight." I snatched the note off the bed and shoved it at his chest. He gave me an annoyed look before he glanced at it. "Huh. Who's this from?"

"A secret admirer," I said wiping my mouth off. "Someone stuck it under the door and vanished."

"Can't be from the Volturi. They would never choose a public setting much less during daylight hours. Plus, I doubt they would leave just a note and not take you with them," Jacob said, thinking out loud.

"The police, maybe?"

He gave me a blank look. "I've never heard of the police sticking notes under a person's door."

A shiver ran down my spine. "You think it could be that thing from last night?"

"If it had wanted to talk, it had an opportunity to do so last night. Besides, I don't think it understands the word talk." He shook his head and read over the note again. "I'll guess we'll have to go and find out."

The café was about five blocks from our hotel. We arrived thirty minutes early and debated on whether we should get a table outside or inside. Most people preferred to stay inside during cooler weather. Jacob won his argument about needing a quick escape and we got a table outside.

"Who ever it is, just let me handle it," Jacob said. I rolled my eyes at his show of machismo.

We didn't have to wait long.

"I believe this belongs to you." The soft feminine voice came from behind Jacob. The sun was shining brightly behind them blocking a clear view of the person. Something landed on the placemat in front of Jacob. It was his wallet. The thug that had stabbed him last night had taken it and put it in his pocket just before he was killed. The figure moved gracefully and sat down across from Jacob, next to me. I stared at her unbelievingly. It was the girl from the bookstore.

"Where…where did you find his wallet?" I asked.

The beginning of a smile tipped the corners of her wine colored lips. "I think you know."

My heart pounded inside my chest. It was hard to believe that this beautiful girl could be the same hideous creature we had seen kill two people last night. Jacob sat speechless. _So much for him handling everything_, I thought annoyingly. I cleared my throat and asked, "What do you want?"

She hesitated. Her steely gray eyes darted from me to Jacob. "I think that is the question I should be asking you." Her French accent from last night was now that of a Celtic decent. "I want to know what business you have here? The _real _reason."

"We came looking for help," I said. Jacob still wasn't speaking. He sat as silent as a mouse staring straight ahead.

"Help?" Her thin eyebrow raised in skepticism. "What sort of help makes you seek _us _out?"

I took a deep breath and let it out. "Help saving my fiancé."

She glared at Jacob. "And just what is your fiancé? He's not human."

Jacob swallowed hard. "No, he's not." His voice sounded strained. "He's a vampire."

Her lips curled up into a sadistic smile reminding me that she wasn't human and that I should be terrified.

"Don't screw with me." Her voice was low and threatening. "I know the smell of a vampire. What game are you playing? I'll warn you, and only once, I don't like being toyed with."

"No kidding," Jacob mumbled.

"No game — no tricks. I promise I'll tell you everything." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. I took that as a positive sign and started my story from the beginning. The very beginning.

I told her how I had moved to Forks to live with a dad I hadn't really known. I recounted the first time I had laid eyes on Edward Cullen. The magnetic pull we'd had for each other. How the Cullens had saved me from James and how Edward kept the venom from transforming me. The tears flowed so easily as I spoke of my disastrous eighteenth birthday party and Edward's departure from my life. My breakdown. Jacob's saving friendship. Alice's vision of my death. Edward's trip to Volterra to end his own life. My trip to save him. Victoria creating newborns because of her grudge against me. The Cullens and the shape-shifters fighting side by side to protect me. How my wedding plans were diverted because of Charlie being shot. Mine and Edward's turbulent relationship last year. Then I ended with me being kidnapped by the Volturi, Edward sacrificing himself for me, and me coming to save him.

Through it all, Jacob and the girl sat quietly. I had to pause several times to wet my parched throat. Once I had finished, I was completely and utterly drained — physically, mentally, and emotionally. My eyes stayed glued to the table as I waited for her to speak. For some reason, I knew how important it was to have her help regardless of her actions last night.

"I have heard through the years of some vampires denouncing human blood and taking from animals instead," she said. "Why come to us? Who sent you our way?"

"There was a case of mistaken identity between my pack and what you are," Jacob said. "Apparently my kind aren't as high on the enemy list as yours. I thought if we could get their enemy to side with us it would help our chances of making it out of this alive. We had no idea what we were looking for or if we would even find it."

"Looks like you got lucky." She glanced at her watch. "Meet me back at the bookstore after nine."

"You will help us?" I blurted out as she rose to leave. I didn't care how desperate I sounded or looked.

"I'll have to think about it." She looked at Jacob as if expecting him to beg for her help also. He sat as still as stone. She hurried off with a growl.

After several minutes of silence, Jacob said, "Well, since we have at least nine, ten hours to waste, why don't we do some sightseeing?"

There was no sense in moping around, worrying whether she would help us or not. Paris really was a beautiful city. Though we had seen the Eiffel Tower many times, we never got to enjoy its grandeur. Notre Dame Cathedral was also on our list. I was awed by its beauty and history. Jacob wasn't too thrilled about touring Pere Lachaise Cemetery, but there were some graves I just had to visit: Victor Hugo, Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Modigliani, and Jim Morrison. By the time we had finished seeing everything we wanted and ate dinner, it was almost nine.

Most of the lights were out inside the bookstore. The closed sign hung on the door. Jacob barely put any pressure on the door and it opened. We exchanged looks. He shrugged and slowly pushed the door open without jingling the bell at the top. Once we were in, he quietly let the door close and turned the deadbolt.

The store was eerily quiet except for the faint voices that drifted from the office behind the counter.

"—get involved." The voice belonged to a male.

"Why not take the fight to them instead of them tracking us down for a change?" the girl asked fervently.

"We can't even trust these people are telling us the truth. It could be an ambush."

"Not those two." There was a trace of laughter in her voice. "The guy didn't put up any kind of a defense against those thieves last night. Besides, they're supposed to be here any minute and you can judge for yourself."

"Dammit, Akira." His voice hardened.

"They came looking for us, Fin. For our help."

"To save one who belongs to our enemy. You think the others will stand behind us to save a vampire?"

"What would it take to get your assistance?" Jacob shook his head not liking my timing on announcing our arrival.

Akira came out of the room first followed by a guy who looked tough, lean, and sinewy. He had light brown hair with sandy-red highlights. He smoothly stepped in front of Akira as if to protect her. His gray eyes quickly disregarded me and moved to Jacob.

"Who are you?" Though the question was directed to both of us, his eyes never left Jacob.

"I'm Bella Swan. This is Jacob Black. I take it you know why we're here."

"Fìor ghaol." He smiled blandly. "It's Scottish for true love. I didn't know vampires were capable of such emotion. Or I should say capable of having such emotion and still allowing one to have a beating heart. I've never known of them not to take what they want regardless of the other's feelings. And yet according to you, you are the one who has been begging him to transform you into a demon like himself."

"He's not a demon," I replied sharply. "He's not the one who brutally murdered those two guys last night."

His smile never faltered. "You should be thanking my sister instead of judging her. What were you waiting for, shape-shifter? Them to gut your human friend before you took action?"

"I have this thing called a conscience about killing humans whether they are innocent or not," Jacob replied in a low voice, taut with anger.

Akira stepped around her brother. "Let's stick to the facts, Findlay. They have come seeking our aid in rescuing her fiancé who was taken by the Volturi in order to save her life. Are we going to turn our backs on those who fight against our enemies?"

He stared at each of us with cold, gray eyes but they eventually settled on me. "Do you fully understand what you are asking of us? You want us to provoke our longtime enemies just to save your vampire lover. You are asking a stranger to sacrifice themselves so you can have a storybook ending. Why should I risk my life for you? Why should my sister enter the bowels of Hell for you?"

A stab of guilt laid buried in my chest. How could I ask people to give so much for me? Everyone had been through enough already because of me. Now I was pulling in complete strangers, asking them to risk their lives because I couldn't live without Edward. Because without him I couldn't function. Without him, there was no me.

I replied with a soft, but insistent voice. "I know I have no right to ask anyone to risk their own life, but it is your choice. I will still ask and you can either help or not. Either way, I am going to fight to get Edward back. I will fight for us to be together until I am no longer able to do so. I haveno other choice."

We watched as a play of different emotions crossed Findlay's face. Suddenly, uncontrollable laughter floated up from his throat. Jacob and I exchanged nervous glances.

"Hell," he managed to say after gaining his breath. "I don't guess we really need a reason to fight those bloodsucking bastards. But we can't just go running into their place of abode without being thoroughly prepared or we all will be killed. Were any more fools joining your team?"

"His family will help," I said feeling optimistic for the first time. "There are six of them."

"I can ask Sam, but I don't think he'll consent for the pack to help." Jacob's tone was apologetic.

"Who is Sam?" Akira asked.

"My Alpha."

Her smoky eyes narrowed curiously. "You are not the Alpha?"

Jacob stiffened at the question. His balled up his hand into tight fist turning his knuckles white. His muscles tightened underneath his shirt. He grounded out the word no between his teeth.

"Jacob's second in command," I said quickly to break the tension. I shot Jacob a questioning look, but his dark eyes were focused on Akira.

"I've never worked with shape-shifters and I would rather not work with vampires," Findlay said. Either he didn't notice the sudden change in Akira and Jacob's mood or he chose to ignore it. "We've got some informants we will need to make contact with. We also need to see how many of our own can join the fight."

"How long?" I asked.

"We should have a good picture on what we're dealing with in a couple of weeks."

"Couple of weeks?" My voice rose in surprise. "We can't wait that long. He's already been with them for over five months." The question of if he would still be my Edward when we found him pounded its way into my thoughts almost causing me to panic in front of everyone. I fought hard for self-control and locked my knees to keep from dropping to the floor. Now was not the time to break-down. I couldn't let them see just how fragile I was. Edward needed me. I had to be strong enough for both of us now.

"We have to," Akira said. "We can't make a move against them until the next gibbous phase."

"So the superstition about werewolves and the moon is true?" Jacob asked.

Akira arched an eyebrow and smiled. "Why do you think they call us Children of the Moon?"

"We can transform at the beginning of the gibbous phase," Findlay explained. "But we are strongest during the full moon phase. There will be time for discussing everyone's strength and weaknesses later. You both need to lay low for now. Akira has an extra bedroom at her apartment. You can stay there."

"I don't think that's a very good idea," Jacob said. There was a faint tremor in his voice as though some emotion had touched him.

"There is more than enough room for the three of us," Akira said. "We shouldn't have a problem with staying out of each other's way. Besides, it's much better than that dump you've been staying in."

Jacob and I looked at each other. I knew our money (or rather Jacob's money) was running low. We probably had enough to last us for another week, but after that it would be touch and go. The thought we shared with each other was if we could trust our lives with Akira and Findlay. It was hard to push the mental image in my head of her in the form of a werewolf killing two people. Yes, they were thugs but they were human — not some preternatural creature. Were they really concerned for our wellbeing or did they want to keep us close just to keep an eye on us?

Jacob raised his eyebrows and I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't see where we had any other choice but to accept the offer.

Findlay's eyes shimmered and he chuckled. "Don't worry, she won't bite. Well, she won't kill you."

Yeah. Like that was supposed to make us feel better.


	5. Chapter 5 Checkmate

Chapter 5

**Checkmate**

**Disclaimer: All characters associated with the Twilight series belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended at any time.**

**EPOV**

Betrayal. There are several examples of it throughout history. But I found myself rereading one particular story from the Bible in Genesis. The story of Isaac's twin sons, Esau and Jacob.

It all began when Jacob tricked Esau into giving him his birthright. Jacob then continued to trick his father into receiving Esau's blessing. His mother sent him away to her people as she was afraid for his life because of his treachery. Jacob spent many years avoiding his brother because he knew he had wronged him. But one day they meet. Jacob expects a fight but is surprised when Esau embraces him and forgives him for the betrayal.

I'm not Esau. True, there was no love lost between Jacob and me. We definitely weren't brothers. But I had trusted him to keep Bella safe. He betrayed me. He took away the only thing that had ever mattered to me. The one thing that I loved more than life itself.

I stared at the words in front of me but instead of seeing them, Bella's death reiterated in my mind. A vision that has replayed in my head nonstop for five long months. The agony never stops. I should have been able to stop Jacob. I should have been able to save Bella. But in the end I'd done neither and it was haunting me. I was consumed with nothing but the thought of revenge.

It wasn't a secret that the Volturi had a variety of gifted vampires in their guard. That's what made them so powerful and deadly through the years. Aro had shown an interest in Alice when she had accompanied Bella two years ago to Volterra to retrieve me. He thought her gift extraordinary and asked her to join them. Alice politely declined. The Volturi was still lacking a soothsayer. I knew where one was available. One who had Brandon blood — Alice's blood — flowing through her veins. Olivia White would be my gift to Aro in return for his consent to attack the Quileute. Or, more importantly, my payback to Jacob.

I had sent a warning to Alice that Olivia was in danger. I still loved my family greatly and wished no harm to come to them or those they loved. However, my need for vengeance was greater. I'd risked a lot to warn her. If Aro suspected disloyalty all it would take would be one touch from him and my months of planning would disintegrate. I had been playing it safe for the past three months pretending to enjoy my life with them. Feeding off humans like a monster. Chumming with those who would just as soon had killed me than to have looked at me five months ago. It would all come to an end soon. As soon as I executed Jacob, my life would be insignificant. There would be no further reason for my existence.

I walked down the dimmed hallway towards the tower, the living quarters for Aro, Caius, and Marcus. The candles hanging on the wall cast my shadow on the cobblestone floor. I rounded the corner and observed Renato standing outside Aro's personal study. A thin smile formed on her face as I approached.

"Edward." She nodded her head as she spoke. She was Aro's personal guard, which was a good indication that he was inside the room.

"Aro available? I need to speak with him."

Aro's clear voice floated through the closed door. "Let him in, Renato. I have eternity to spend with my wife."

I kept my facial expression neutral as I entered the study. Being reminded of what I had lost made my upcoming conversation more momentous. Being a vampire meant that I had an unlimited time to plan my revenge on Jacob. However, my need for vengeance outweighed my patience. The thought of him living a happy, peaceful life while Bella laid rotting in the ground was more than I could bear. I needed to act — now.

Aro was seated in a high back chair in front of a chessboard. His wife, Sulpicia, sat on a pink satin loveseat with a book in her hand and a content smile on her face. In the corner of the room, quietly sipping from a wine glass, sat Corin. All were dressed as if we were still in the 18th Century. Even I had conformed to their late century apparel, among other traits.

"Edward. Have a seat." Aro gestured to the empty chair across from him. "Play a game of the minds with me. It will be refreshing to have someone new to play with. A new challenge."

I returned his smile and greeted Sulpicia as I passed her. Aro rearranged the marble chess pieces. He had placed the coral pieces in front of me indicating that he wanted me to make the first move. I picked up the smooth, hand-crafted marble pawn and rolled it between my thumb and index finger.

"I'm trusting you not to cheat."

I glanced up from the board to look at Aro. He tapped a finger against his temple. I smiled politely and placed my pawn on the board. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Aro moved his black pawn in front of mine before he asked, "What is it that you wanted to discuss with me?" I glanced over at Corin. Aro laughed. "Corin is trustworthy. Whatever you have to say, you can trust it will not go outside these four walls without your approval."

"I have information on someone you may be interested in." There was no going back now. Even if I changed my mind, Aro would find out I was lying. By his sudden stillness, I could tell I had peaked his interest. The chess game was suddenly forgotten.

A slow smile spread across his face. "Am I right to assume that you want something in return?"

I didn't pause and met his gaze directly. "I want retribution for Bella's death."

Aro leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers underneath his chin. "Though I've never experienced the loss of a mate, unfortunately I do know what it feels like to lose someone very close to you. Why ask for permission? You have every right to take action for Isabella's death."

"There are some who would probably disagree with you." I was a mind reader. There were those, Caius being one, who never looked at humans as anything more than food. Bella died a human, therefore her retribution wasn't worth the fight regardless whether or not plans to transform her into a vampire were already in place.

"And if we ran our world by popular vote from our populist, everyone by now would know we exist and anarchy would rule the world. I've never been one to agree with the majority just to make things easy."

"I am grateful for your support, but there is still the fact I will have to enter his territory. The pack, though young, is very powerful. I can't expect a fair fight. They will outnumber me by at least six."

Aro waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "I'll send some of the guard with you."

"It will look as if we are declaring war against the shape-shifters. War for killing one of our own is justifiable but Bella wasn't one of ours when she was murdered. She was just mine," I managed to say through clenched teeth.

"Isabella's life was taken away selfishly by those who wish us harm. She had great potential with the Volturi. It would have come to pass had those damned creatures not killed her. You are a valued member of our guard now, Edward. You are family. We did not start this confrontation. But the Volturi will not ideally sit back and let any supernatural creature take something that belongs to us. They started the war." His smile spread wide enough to show perfect straight teeth. "We will finish it."

"Should I consult with you when I'm ready?"

"I'll inform Felix of the situation. He can gather the team. Let him know when it is time."

I nodded in agreement and turned my eyes back to the chessboard. It was Aro's turn and I patiently waited for him to him to make a move. The chessboard sat untouched for a minute or two. I glanced up to see his red shimmering eyes staring at me.

"I believe you have information for me?" he asked.

"Right." I paused a moment to gather my thoughts. "If I remember correctly, it appeared the last time we met that you seemed to be interested in Alice joining the Volturi."

I did not mistake the twitch of his eye. He tried to cover it by quickly standing and moving to the bar. He grabbed a wine glass and filled it with thick, red liquid. The smell of rich blood wafted through the room. He held the glass in my direction. I stood and walked over to him taking the glass. I sipped slowly while he poured himself another one.

"Sulpicia, my dear, why don't you and Corin check in on Athenodora."

Sulpicia rose gracefully from where she had sat unmoving since I entered the room. They never attempted to make themselves appear to be human.

"Of course my love." She walked over to Aro and lightly kissed him on the cheek. Corin followed her out the door without a word.

Once they left Aro crossed the room, his gaze fixed on a portrait of a young woman. Her dress dated the painting back to late 1600's. Her black hair hung down in ringlets. There was joy in her chocolate colored eyes. She did not appear to be a vampire at the time the picture was painted.

"I have lived a very long life, therefore very rarely does anything amaze me." There was a hint of amusement in his voice. "Mary Alice Brandon Whitlock amazes me." His laugh was low and gruff. "You may think that psychics are a dime a dozen but most are dissemblers."

He stood still, staring at the portrait. My curiosity got the best of me. I lightly touched Aro's thoughts. The girl in the portrait was his sister, Didyme whom also happened to be Marcus's wife. After so many years, no one still had a clue as to who murdered Didyme. Story was that she had been loved by everyone. There was an overwhelming emotion in Aro's demeanor. Regret maybe? Jasper would have been able to tell.

Aro shook his head as if he could feel me inside. He abruptly turned to face me. "You remember James Witherdale, yes?"

It surprised me to hear his name unexpectedly. I set my glass back on the bar to keep from breaking it. "Yes," I responded tightly.

James Witherdale had been the vampire who had came very close to transforming Bella into a vampire when we had first met. My family decapitated and burned him. A few months later, I ended up doing the same to his mate Victoria. My biggest concern was why Aro was bringing him up now?

He smiled sympathetically. "Ah, of course. How could you have forgotten? Our memories are greater than an elephants and we do have much to remember." He paused for a sip from his glass. "Some years ago, there was a string of deaths of young, prestige women in France. Rumor had it that someone was draining their blood. The person got labeled Le tueur de Vampire. The Vampire Killer. Obviously it was something we needed to investigate. Majority of the human population didn't believe it really was a vampire, but there are always those who choose to believe in the supernatural. I sent two of my best, Demetri and Felix. It ended up being James who was the one responsible for the deaths. They brought him back to Volterra to be sentenced for his slothfulness."

"Slothfulness? Not for murder?"

Aro tilted his head questioningly. "We can't charge him for an act that comes naturally. That would be like the humans convicting their own for eating a piece of chocolate. No, he was careless with the bodies. You never drink them dry and then leave them for human authorities to find. At least not so many of them and all from high society families.

"James was brought before Caius, Marcus, and myself. However, when I made contact with him for the proof of his crime, I saw much, much more."

"You saw Alice." One didn't need to be a mind reader to see Aro's thought pattern. Now that the pieces of the puzzle was spread out on the table it was easy to see how they all fit together.

James had revealed to Bella that he had had an attraction for Alice's blood when she was human and in a insane asylum. He had know just how powerful and precise Alice's visions had been. However, another vampire who had become friends with Alice somehow knew James's intent and took her away, making her a vampire and thus saving her from James. Unfortunately, it also cost him his life.

Aro surprised me by doing a human gesture, touching the tip of his nose with his index finger.

"Right you are," he said.

"And you exonerated him for breaking a vampire law for information on Alice. How many others know of this?"

Aro's lips turned into a snarl and his eyes flashed a more brilliant crimson. "Are you threatening me?"

"Absolutely not." I hadn't meant for it to sound threatening, but it was clear that was how he had interpreted my question. To remind him that I could easily read his thoughts to answer my question would not have made him any more relaxed. "It's just that if you know of her ability, how many more out there are aware of her?"

His snarl faded but his eyes remained alight. "Others may know, but very few believe in such talent. I admit, I was skeptical myself until I met her. Simply amazing. James was to infiltrate your coven. He assured me he could lure Alice away and bring her to me."

"But he was distracted by Bella."

Aro's lips pulled down into a frown. "That's always been a problem with employing rogues. They lack discipline. Had you not taken care of him, I assure you I would have."

"Why are you trusting me with this information?"

"I thought it might be information you would want to know in this you-scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours discussion." And just like that, Aro was again all smiles and friendliness. "Now, what kind of information were you going to share with me?"

"Not even I would be able to influence Alice into joining the Volturi. However, Alice has been in contact with her human family." Aro raised his eyebrows. I quickly extinguished his thoughts by saying, "They don't know who or what she is. Alice was very cautious. But what she did find out was that she has a niece who possesses her abilities."

"Interesting."

I proceeded to provided Aro with the information on Olivia White.

"I'm not thrilled about her age," he said once I had finished. "Eight is young. It's hard for an adult to control their hunger at the time of change. For a child it takes much longer."

"We could have someone watch her and wait for her to mature."

Aro slowly shook his head. "I don't want to lose her. I can bring her here where she will be under my guard. Then I can determine when the right time will be for her transformation." His eyes flashed with excitement. "Just imagine what a soothsayer with that kind of talent will bring to my guard." He was salivating at the idea. "I must get with Renato and start planning." He started for the door then paused and looked back at me. "Good luck on your own excursion. Be sure to make those animals pay for what they have done."

I bowed my head and went out the door before him. Make them pay, I would. And I would make sure that Jacob paid with his own life. I vowed that by the end of the month vengeance would be mine.


	6. Chapter 6 A Pack Divided

Chapter 6

**A Pack Divided**

**Disclaimer: All characters associated with the Twilight series belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended at any time.**

**LPOV**

I awoke a little after one on Sunday, the only day of the week I had free. After a quick shower, I slipped on an old pair of faded jeans with rips in the knees and a faded green tank top. I plopped down on the couch in the living room with my English literature book and opened it to Mr. Shakespeare's _King Lear_.

Mom was seated in one of the recliners. I glanced over to find her watching me with those too observant brown eyes of hers. Whatever book she had been reading laid across her lap.

"You don't look happy." There was a slight frown on her face.

"This story has to be read by tomorrow," I grumbled. I held the book up to block her stare. I was not in the mood for a mother-daughter talk. My life sucked. I didn't need a reminder, thank you.

Mom must have taken the hint and turned her attention back to her book. After a blessedly long period of silence, our doorbell rang. When it rang a second time, I peered over my book at Mom. She didn't move a muscle from her reclined position. The doorbell sounded again.

"Please, let me get it. I'm not doing anything important," I said sarcastically. I got up from the couch and purposely stomped to the door taking my book with me. I snatched open the door and was rendered speechless.

"Leah! How good it is to see you." Doris Marshall stepped forward gleaming ear to ear. I caught a whiff of magnolias when she put her arms around me in a tight hug. I stared at Eli over her shoulder. He was wearing a red dress shirt neatly tucked in a pair of khakis and the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. His black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail like he usually wore.

"Doris, Eli, please come in," Mom said from behind me. "I'm so glad you both could come. Charlie's in the back smoking ribs and a casserole is warming in the oven."

I stumbled back to let the Marshalls through the door. Doris was an attractive, petite lady. She was a head shorter than me and Mom, and Eli towered over her.

"Thank you for inviting us," Doris said. "I know you said not to bring anything, but I thought it only fair that I bring dessert." Eli held up a Tupperware cake carrier and gave Mom a charming smile.

"Leah, show Eli to the kitchen," Mom said returning Eli's smile.

Setup. My meddlesome mother, who knew I would be home today, had stuck her nose where it didn't belong. The daggers I shot Mom went unnoticed by the two women. They were already seated on the couch and engrossed in conversation, completely ignoring the fuming girl and nervous boy. I slammed the front door shut and stomped to the kitchen with Eli following behind at a safe distance.

"You can put it on the counter." I would have liked to have told him someplace else he could've put it, but I reined in my anger, determined to be respectful.

"What are you reading?" he asked gesturing towards the book which was still in my hand.

"_King Lear._"

His firm lips curved into a smile. I tried hard not to remember those lips on mine. "Ah, yes. No one has ever been able to write such great tragedies as Shakespeare."

I snorted. "Maybe I should write a biography."

"Your life has been marredwith scars." His voice was tender, almost a murmur.

"I'm not seeking sympathy," I spat. My body shook with anger. I could feel the wolf in me wanting to be released. I stepped back until my back was pressed against the kitchen counter. My hands gripped the countertop behind me so I could feel like I had control over something. "I've never asked for sympathy from anyone. Ever."

"No. You just shut everyone out," he shot back, his own anger beginning to show in his eyes. "Hording all your misfortunes inside might make you tough but it also makes you bitter."

I jerked as if he had struck me. "So that's how you feel about me?" Wasn't that how I wanted him to feel so he would forget about me and move on with his life? Suddenly I felt empty and drained. Inwardly I cursed myself for even caring what he felt.

He shook his head sadly. "Leah, I've been perfectly clear about my feelings for you."

"Yeah? How is Clair, by the way?" I asked mockingly. His body stiffened at the question about his new girlfriend's wellbeing. My heart crumbled a little more at the look of guilt on his face.

Just when he opened his mouth to speak, the backdoor flew open. Charlie stopped a few steps inside and observed each of us. "Uh, ribs are ready," he said.

"I'll set the table." I quickly turned away from Eli and reached the plates in the cabinet above the counter.

Once the table was set, we all sat down to eat. Mom and Doris kept the dialogue flowing with useless chatter. Charlie only spoke when he was addressed. Eli and I remained silent, both of us poking at the food on our plates.

Half-way through the meal the phone rang. Charlie and I both jumped to answer it but I was quicker. I hadn't even finished with the hello before Quil's voice boomed through the receiver.

"Hold on," I yelled back. "Take a breath and tell me what's going on."

Quil paused a moment before he said, "We've got trouble."

"What kind?"

"Paul and Embry were patrolling this morning when Paul caught a scent. There was a vampire just inside the lines on the south end. Paul called for Embry and went to investigate. When Paul started to attack, Embry stopped him, which caused a fight between the two of them. The vamp would've gotten away, but Sam and I happened to be nearby and captured him. We've got him held prisoner at my grandfather's old cabin by the river.

"Leah, Sam's pissed at Embry. I mean, _really _pissed. And with Paul nipping at his heels…I don't know. I wish Jacob was here."

"Well, he's not. I'll be there in few." I hung up the phone and turned to the back door.

"Leah," Mom called. "Where are you—"

"That was Quil. He has an emergency and needs my help." The look of concern on her face told me she knew I was speaking of pack business. "I don't know when I'll be home. Sorry, but I have to run. Mrs. Marshall, it was good seeing you again." I didn't to speak or look at Eli.

There was no point in phasing. Sure, I would have gotten there a lot quicker, but again it was a clothes issue. Quil's grandfather's cabin was secluded in the woods near the Quileute River. It wasn't very big: One bedroom, small kitchen, and small living room. However, we didn't have a particular place where we held vampires. Taking a vampire prisoner had never been done before. We couldn't take the bloodsucker to our house, in our city, amongst our people. That would have been crazy and stupid. The cabin was the safest place we had available.

I cautiously approached the cabin and observed the scene before me. Jared stood in front of a livid Paul, Sam was pacing back and forth like a caged tiger, and Quil's eyes darted nervously back and forth while Embry sat relaxed on the front porch.

As I went through the clearing, Sam paused to regard me. "Quil inform you what happened?" His voice was deep and strained.

"You captured a leech."

"Should've killed the bloodsucker," Paul said between clenched teeth.

"He hadn't done anything wrong." Embry's voice was calm. He kept his eyes on the ground.

"He was on our territory," Paul yelled.

"He's not a Cullen," Embry said. "The treaty doesn't extend to him. There was no person around he was threatening."

"So a persons life has to be in danger now? Whose rulebook is that in?"

"Since when do we attack our own in front of a vampire?" Sam asked. "That monster could be from the Volturi. He could have killed both you and Paul."

"He didn't," Embry said quietly.

"He. Could. Have." Sam's patience was wearing very thin.

"Has anyone questioned him on why he's here?" I asked.

"Said he was looking for the Cullens," Quil said. "Wouldn't say why though."

"We could make him." A wicked smile fanned out on Paul's face.

"He didn't come here for a fight," Embry said. "We were the aggressors — not him. He was only defending himself. We should turn him over to the Cullens."

"Give him directions to their crypt, shake his hand, say our bad and let him leave on his own?" Paul retorted in cold sarcasm.

There was something in Embry's expression that caused me to feel uneasy. I had a good reason for my emotions.

He looked Sam squarely in the eye as he said, "I've already sent for Mrs. Cullen and Rosalie. Seth should be arriving with them shortly to take Perez to their home."

It was as if a volcano had erupted. The tension between them increased with frightening intensity. Paul began yelling obscenities, spit flying from his mouth. Jared was holding him back while staring at Embry as if he had grown a fourth head. Sam's dark eyes grew wild. His chest heaved as he tried to keep his temper in check. Quil was clearly uncomfortable with Embry's actions, but he stood by his friend. I was speechless. Damn, twice in one day. The world must have been spinning in the wrong direction.

"I have made it very clear, Embry, that we are to have no contact with the Cullens," Sam said in a harsh, raw voice. "You have intentionally defied a direct order. I am your Alpha and I will be obeyed!"

Embry straightened his shoulders. He stood tall with his head held high. "Maybe it's time we reevaluate who we want as Alpha."

Stillness settled over the pack. I looked at those around me to make sure I wasn't just hearing things. By the look on everyone's face, I had understood Embry correctly. He was challenging Sam.

"Are you challenging me for Alpha?" Sam's voice had lowered a couple of decimals.

"I'm as entitled as you." A ghost of a smile formed on Embry's lips. "After all, we are half-brothers."

Every eye turned to Sam who had lost all color in his face. Was Embry telling the truth? Did he find out that Joshua Uley was his father? I glanced at Quil to see if he had known. His expression was the same as the rest of us, which meant Embry hadn't confided in him either.

"I had a chat with Mom and she finally confirmed it," Embry said breaking the silence. He shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn't that big of a deal. "Sam, I have nothing personal against you. But I don't agree with how you're handling this situation. It's time to amend the treaty with the Cullens. They have proven they're not like other vampires. I don't think excluding them is smart."

"Orenda did something to your brain," Paul said. "Just because you found out your Joseph Uley's bastard doesn't make you our Alpha. You're screwed-up, Embry. I think you need some time off and a shrink. Sam is our Alpha and will remain our Alpha."

Embry didn't back down. "Me being the same bloodline as his gives me the right to challenge him."

"Fine. I'm with Sam," Paul said with a smug smile on his face.

Jared looked as shocked as I felt. "Embry, I think Paul's right. Something could have seriously happened to you when you were kidnapped. I trust our ancestors, therefore I trust the treaty. Sam is doing what is best for the pack."

"Quil?" Sam's voice was impassive.

Quil shrugged his big shoulders. "Maybe Embry has a point."

"Of course he would choose his buddies side," Paul sneered.

All eyes turned my direction. I was still reeling from the fact that Embry was Sam's half-brother, now they expected me to choose between them? Sam was an enforcer. He carried himself like a leader. Embry was reserved yet insightful. He may not have looked like a leader, but he thought like one. Sam and Embry were like night and day.

I took a deep breath before I spoke. "We're not dealing with newborns. We're not as experienced as our ancestors. We have to find some middle ground."

"Leah, we can't give in."

I turned and looked directly at Sam. "Can't or won't? I despise the leeches as much as the rest of you. But I'm not an idiot. We're clueless about the Volturi. I think it may be wise to wait before we start burning bridges." I'm prideful. I don't like seeking help especially from bloodsuckers. But the thought of fighting the Volturi frightened me. I wouldn't admit it out loud. It would make me seem weak. However, after almost having my ass handed to me by a newborn, I knew when I was out of my league. And I couldn't bear the thought of losing another pack member.

Paul's laugh was scornful. "I can't believe you're going to let your bitterness over Sam ditching you for Emily dictate who you side with for Alpha."

I felt my temper rise in response. "Sam's imprinting has nothing to do with this," I yelled back.

Paul rolled his eyes. "Please. You've been out to make Sam's life, along with everyone else's, miserable since you joined the pack."

"Paul, enough," Sam said quietly.

I turned to Sam to fervently explain the reason for my vote, but he immediately dismissed me by calling Colin (who had been inside watching the vampire) for his vote. He sided with Sam. He stated that after Irina had Orenda brainwashed him there was no way he could ever trust a vampire. I thought his logic odd being it was one of our own who had actually done the brainwashing.

"The pack has voted," Sam said without malice.

There was a rustle in the woods. "I don't believe I've cast my vote." Seth came through a clearing followed by Esme and Rosalie. I noticed everyone but Embry tensed at the appearance of the vampires.

"Your vote doesn't count," Paul said. His eyes followed the Cullens very closely.

"Just because he may be unable to fight with us right now doesn't mean he is kicked out of the pack," Embry said. "Once a Quileute always a Quileute. Ask Mr. Black."

"So that leaves the pack split," Jared said. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at the vampires. "Perfect timing."

"Jacob hasn't voted," Quil said.

"You gonna give him a call and finish this stupid challenge?" Paul asked.

Sam broke in with a firm voice. "No. Jacob has enough to deal with right now. Until he comes back with the deciding vote, we will still guard our boarders but it will be divided amongst the two different teams. Embry, do as you like for now. But if my team catches a vampire, we will do as according to the treaty. You may want to let your friends know." His eyes flickered over to Esme and Rosalie where they stood as still as a stone pillar, expressionless.

Esme tilted her head in acknowledgement. Embry didn't seem upset that Sam was still acting as Alpha. Sam, Paul, Jared, and Colin left with looks of disgust on their faces. Strangely, I found myself standing next to Rosalie, wondering how the hell I ended up on this side of the playing field. Had I chosen Embry out of spite? I thought I had buried those feelings. I felt as if I needed to reexamine my life — yet again.

"The vampire is inside?" Esme asked. Her voice was soft and caring. Embry nodded.

The small cabin quickly became overcrowded with all of us packed inside. I stared at the vampire chained to the chair. The chains wouldn't have been able to hold him but they would have made a clanking sound had he moved, which would have alerted us. He didn't look like the Cullens. His skin was darker and his eyes reminded me of barbeque sauce. They were darker than the Cullens' amber color but not as bright red as the newborns had been. His dark hair fell past his thick eyebrows.

"Good. I see they've found you." He had a Hispanic accent. He appeared cocky with his crooked smile. "You have some of them tamed well."

"They're our friends, not our servants," Esme snapped. I was shocked. She had always been kind and friendly even when provoked by myself or Paul. However, the tone she used when addressing this vampire was rough and insensitive. "Who are you and why are you here?"

He didn't seem to be offended by her tone. "Perez Marcel. I have been sent by Maria, the leader of the Mexican Coven, to give Carlisle Cullen a message."

"He's unavailable at the moment. What word does she send?"

Perez chuckled. "Sorry, senorita, but I only am to speak with him."

"Is this concerning Jasper?" There was a small quaver in her voice.

"This concerns the war which is coming." There was no trace of humor in his voice. Perez was serious. His statement sent a cold shiver down my spine.

Esme looked over at Rosalie. "I'll keep an eye on things here. You can escort Perez to Alberta."

Rosalie shook her head. "You should be with Carlisle. He's going to need you. I can manage things here."

"Are you going to war with the Volturi?" Embry asked.

Esme smiled. "We always hope to avoid a war, but we will do what is necessary to get Edward back."

"If you don't mind, I would like to accompany you."

"Seth," I hissed.

He gave me a dumbfounded look. "What? We need to know what's going on and I need to find out if I can phase without my arm falling off. I'm the one who is the most comfortable around vampires. Beside, if they are going to save Edward I want to be in on the action."

"And what am I supposed to tell Mom? That I willingly sent you away with a bunch of bloodsuckers?"

"It's not your decision, Lee-Lee. I'll talk to Mom when I get back to the house." He smiled at Esme. "If you don't mind waiting for me?"

She returned his smile and warmly said, "Of course not." Then she looked at me. "I'll make sure nothing harms him while he is in my care."

With my love life in shambles, the pack becoming divided, and my baby brother departing on possible suicide mission, was it not so unbelievable that I found very little comfort in a vow from a vampire?


	7. Chapter 7 Guardian Angels

Chapter 7

**Guardian Angels**

**Disclaimer: All characters associated with **_**Twilight **_**belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended at any time.**

Green is not my color. Even though it was pretty much the only color I had been wearing for the past few months, I didn't love it any better. I actually loathed it. I frowned down at the green camouflage I had been forced to wear day in and day out in order to blend in with the woods surrounding my great-great niece's house.

"No one is holding it against you." Jasper's voice cut into my thoughts. I glanced over at him in his identical outfit. He made green look good. He made everything look good.

"I'm holding it against me. I swear when this is over with I'm never going to wear green or camouflage again. I'll still support the military, but a girl has to take a stand on something."

We had been watching the White's house since receiving a warning on Christmas that my human great-great niece, Olivia White, was in danger. For some reason Edward had handed her name and abilities to the Volturi. The Volturi didn't have a psychic on their payroll and I was determined they were not getting Olivia.

So far there hadn't been any activity of the vampire kind. Either Edward had changed his mind or the Volturi was taking their sweet time. Actually, everything seemed to be moving at a snail's pace. It was very frustrating indeed.

"Have you had any visions lately?" There was concern in Jasper's voice.

The last vision I'd had had come too late. It was basically my fault for the predicament everyone was in. We knew that Bella was on the Volturi's watch list. Edward was supposed to had changed her as soon as we had come back from Volterra two years ago. It was evident to them that he hadn't when we had a battle with Victoria and her newborns. Then Charlie got shot and everything just seemed to spin out of control. Edward had placed me in charge of warning him when the Volturi had planned for a visit. I never saw it coming until it was too late. By the time the vision hit me, Bella had already been kidnapped. I had failed.

"None of any significance." I shook my head. "I still feel…dirty. Like there is a bunch of dust and dirt in my system."

It was hard to explain how I was feeling. It was true that the werewolves hindered me from having visions and we had tried to use their presence as an excuse for my screw-up. But I knew I should have seen the Volturi's departure. Even if Bella had been surrounded by werewolves, the Volturi would have been werewolf free. So what happened exactly? No one knew.

The only item in question is that of a drawing Olivia had given me when I had visited her in Mississippi before Bella's abduction. She'd had a vision of me and sketched out my picture as best as an eight year old could. I had laughed at what appeared to be a hallo around my head. When I mentioned it to her, she said it wasn't a hallo; that my head just looked foggy. I'd thought nothing of it at the time. Now, I rarely thought of anything else.

Jasper and I turned our attention back to the house. Olivia had just walked into the backyard and jumped on her swing set. Her auburn hair blew in the wind with every upward swing. She was a darling little girl. My hands curled into fist at the thought of the Volturi even knowing she existed. Edward would have a lot of explaining to do.

There was a sound of a twig breaking several feet to our right. Moments later we were joined by Emmett who happened to be wearing gray and deep green camouflage. He noticed Olivia playing.

"Still no action, huh?" I shook my head. He sat down next to me and squinted up at the sun. "Why don't you two take a break. Go to the hotel, relax, shower." He glanced at me with a grin. "Change into something a little more comfortable." Ugh. Was my dislike for green that obvious?

"Alice can go. I'll keep watch with you."

Emmett shook his head. "The Volturi won't make a move during the day. If they do, it will be their human flunkies, which I'm more than capable of handling. You two look like you could use some time off. I'll be fine."

I nodded in agreement. "It's been a while for you, too. Maybe you should take a few days and go visit Rosalie."

Emmett's laugh was deep, warm, and rich.

"Hell no. One, I'm not taking a chance on something happening while I'm gone. I've been sitting like a stalker in these trees for months waiting on some action. I would never forgive myself if I missed the chance to kick some Volturi ass." Meaning he would never forgive himself if something happened to me or Jasper. "Second, Rosalie would mistake my visit as me checking on her to make sure she's okay and not that I missed her. She would kick my ass for lack of respect and a trip would be wasted. Not to mention the groveling I would have to do to get back in her good graces."

Emmett had heard from Rosalie a few days ago. She'd informed him that Esme had left escorting a vampire and Seth Clearwater to Canada to join Carlisle and whatever quest he was on leaving Rosalie alone with the dogs. It seemed that the werewolves were having a squabble amongst themselves. Some type of Alpha issue; a question on who was the top dog, pun intended. She had been giving them information on the Volturi for over a week now. None of us were concerned for her safety. Rosalie could definitely take care of herself. Just her glare alone was deadly.

Jasper and I ended up taking Emmett's offer. We went back to our hotel for a shower and change of clothes. Neither of us replaced our daytime for our nighttime uniform. Instead, Jasper slipped on a pair of black jeans and a black Under Armour shirt. I put on a pair of black leather pants and a soft, long-sleeved dark gray shirt. Say what one will about leather pants, but they can be very useful during a battle. And if you know how to wear them, very sexy. From Jasper's approving eyes, I knew how to wear them.

It was nice to relax for just a moment. Jasper and I curled up on the couch together. It was pleasantly silent. After a while, it became too silent — awkward. Mine and Jasper's life had never been what some would consider mundane. Both of us seemed to have a tendency to act mischievously.

"I've been thinking about something you're not going to like," Jasper said breaking the silence.

"That doesn't sound fun."

"There is someone who lives close to by who might be able to tell us what it is going on in your head."

I turned to look at him. "Vampire?"

"Witch."

My body stiffened. We had already dealt with one male witch, a shaman to be more accurate, though some (like myself) would consider them alike. I guess it depends on a person's point of view. It was his spell that had started this whirlwind. His spell had been powerful. The kind of power that made even us tough vampires wary.

"You're right. I don't like it."

"We can trust her. You could say I'm an old friend of the family. I met her family when I was tromping around Louisiana back in the day. Her…powers, if you would, have been handed down for many generations."

"And why am I just now hearing about this 'friend'?"

Jasper slightly shrugged his shoulder. "I wouldn't say they are actually friends. More like associates. I only know Henrietta because of her great-great Aunt Elizabeth. I've never had a reason to mention any of them until now."

"Sure are a lot of great-great aunts popping up suddenly," I bantered.

"Yeah, but this one has been able to keep her humanity for ninety-two years," he responded in the same matter.

"And you think this witch can help me? That is, if she even agrees to try."

"She's actually a Bokor."

"Bokor like in voodoo?"

He slowly nodded his head and watched my eyes for a few moments. "Alice, what could it hurt?"

I threw in the towel. I didn't like the thought of anyone poking around in my head but someone had already thrown a party in there and hadn't invited it's hostess.

Jasper made a call, then we were off. We were staying in Lompoc where Olivia and her family lived, just south of Vandenberg AFB. We took SR-1 north to Guadalupe, a small city just outside of Santa Maria, California. Jasper followed the directions the GPS instructed. It was dark by the time we pulled up to a small wood framed, two storey house surrounded by a white picket fence.

I arched an eyebrow and eyed Jasper. "Looks real spooky."

"You of all people should know not to judge a book by its cover."

"Point taken."

I turned and stared at the house. Beautiful California lilac grew in the front. Movement from a window on the second storey caught my eye. It was the only window with light shining through. The curtains moved barely an inch uncovering a dark figure. It was there one second and gone the next.

"Come on," Jasper said. He got out of the car and walked around to open the door for me. "We don't want to keep her waiting."

The heady, sweet smell of the lilacs was overpowering as we made our way to the front door. Jasper knocked twice. We waited a couple of minutes before the door slowly opened. A young woman, probably in her late twenties, greeted us. Her expression was blank. I couldn't tell if she was happy or upset to see us. She stepped to the side and gestured for us to enter.

The lilac smell seemed to follow us inside. The house was smaller than it had appeared from the outside. The walls were white and bare of any hangings. As far as I could tell the den was the only room with gray carpet. The hallway that lead to the back of the house had wood floors. There were only two loveseats, a coffee table, and a bookcase in the den.

Henrietta closed the door then leaned against it with her arms crossed over her chest. She was attractive with her caramel colored skin, dark green eyes, and ebony hair that hung in loose curls over her shoulders. I wouldn't have thought her to be a Bokor. She was too lovely, too young, and wasn't wearing anything similar to voodoo garb, meaning skulls. Lots and lots of skulls. In fact, I hadn't seen the first skull. There weren't any even imprinted on her blue tank top or jeans that she wore. I was a little disappointed.

"Tante Liz di m' ou bezwen sèvis m' pou m '." Creole easily flowed out of her mouth. Her voice was soft and sweet. So far she was nothing like I had expected. She inspected both of us with her gaze. "Ki jan de sèvis fè yon vampire bezwen m '?"

"English, please." Jasper tilted his head in my direction. I wasn't surprised that he understood Creole. There wasn't much Jasper didn't know.

"My apologizes." She smiled at me then. Her full lips parted to show perfect teeth. "Aunt Liz called and informed me that a friend of hers was going to be arriving and was in need of my assistance. I see you are vampires. What can I possibly do to help you?"

"Alice has the ability to foresee the future." Henrietta's eyebrows rose a fraction. "However, we believe someone has cast a spell on her, weakening her abilities. The results have been catastrophic."

"Can you feel it?" she asked me.

"I couldn't. There was another person with the gift of foresight who said my head looked foggy. But I didn't feel any different. Now, I'm not so sure there still isn't something hindering me. I feel…hazy."

She studied me for a moment more before she pushed herself from the door. "Come. I will not promise anything, but I will see if there is something I can do."

We followed her down the hallway and up the stairs to the last door on the right. Candles burned inside emanating a peaceful atmosphere.

"Sit." She motioned for me to sit on a pallet on the floor. There was a chair in the corner she motioned for Jasper to sit in.

"Wait," I said when she sat down across from me. "Isn't there supposed to be like drums and a huge fire going. And I don't see any skulls."

Jasper chuckled softly behind me.

Henrietta smiled again. "You are not here for entertainment. Most of what is shown to the public is just for show. But all I'm going to do right now is look at your aura. I have to know what is incapacitating you in order to free you…if I can."

I sat still on the floor watching as Henrietta mumbled words. Her eyes slowly roamed over my body starting with my head then back up again. Her facial features remained unreadable. When she was finished, she let out a long sigh.

"You still have negative energy lingering from the dark spell that was cast on you."

"Someone cast a dark magic spell on me?"

Henrietta nodded. "Your head is coated in black. No wonder you feel hazy. It would have driven a normal person mad by now."

"Can it be cured?" Jasper asked.

This time a wicked grin formed on her pretty face. Now Henrietta looked like what I had expected a Bokor to look like.

"They were good, but they weren't me." She stood and lead us out into the hallway. "Give me a couple of hours to set things up. Help yourself to anything in the house. I'll find you when I'm done." She went back into the room and closed the door behind her.

"That wasn't too bad, was it?" Jasper took my hand and pulled me back down the stairs.

"It's not over with yet."

Two hours and twenty-three minutes later, Henrietta called for us. This time the room smelt musky and earthy. There was a medium sized clay pot in the middle of the room. It was filled with a variety of herbs and what appeared to be various resins. Smoke rose from the concoction in the pot.

"Stand in front of the bowl," Henrietta said.

She began chanting in her Creole language as she used a fan made out of various bird feathers to push the heady smoke over me. Suddenly things began to become clearer. The haze began to lift. But there was no time for celebration. Images flew at me. Visions of things to come. I gasped and turned to Jasper in panic.

"They're coming." My voice was tight with fear. "We don't have much time."

Jasper didn't waste time with questions. He thanked Henrietta as we raced down the stairs to the car.

"Bon chans!" Henrietta's voice followed us out the door.

I dialed Emmett's number while Jasper drove like a man possessed.

"She is safely tucked in her bed while visions of sugar plums dance in her head." Emmett spoke in his casual, jesting way.

"Emmett, do not engage," I demanded in a shaky voice. "Jasper and I will be there in a few. Just…I don't know…preoccupy them somehow until we can get there."

"Them? What the hell is going on?"

"Long story short, I've been cured and the Volturi are on their way there."

"How many?" His voice dropped an octave. He was all business now.

"Three. Heidi and two others I don't recognize."

"What's the plan?" Emmett asked.

"Our main objective is to keep Olivia safe," Jasper said. Though his eyes were focused on the road, it was clear he was going over war plans in his head. "Alice, you get Olivia and take her somewhere safe. Emmett and I will discard Heidi and the others."

I shook my head. "We should lure them away from the house and discard them together. Then we get Olivia somewhere safe." I didn't want us splitting up. Nothing good ever comes with teams splitting up.

"Too risky," Jasper said shaking his head.

"What about her parents?" Emmett's voice rang in my ear.

"We can't afford to expose ourselves to them," Jasper said. "Olivia already knows what we are, sort of. Her staying ignorant isn't safe anymore. We should have taken her when we had the chance."

"You mean kidnapped her?" Jasper's line of thinking didn't surprise me.

He nodded. "They aren't after her parents."

"Right," Emmett said. "But we agreed that they would still torture and kill them trying to find Olivia. They were better off with us watching over all of them."

"Alice, which way do they come in from?"

"East."

"Emmett, get behind the shed in the back of the house," Jasper ordered. Then he looked over at me. "If anyone gets past us, you run with her. If you have a premonition of the fight going south, you run with her. Do not stay and fight, Alice. Go straight to Alberta to Carlisle."

"And warn Rosalie," Emmett said. "Forks will be a war zone when this is over with."

I vowed that I would protect Olivia from the Volturi. I swore they wouldn't get her. If that meant fleeing with her and leaving my brother and husband behind, I would do it. I would mourn and question the decision later. Olivia was in danger because of me. It was my responsibility to keep her from harm. Damn Edward.

Jasper pulled onto the road off SR-1 that lead back to the house. What should have been a thirty minute drive had taken us less than fifteen. He turned off the headlights as we approached the house. Once the engine was off we turned and faced each other.

"We'll get through this alive," he promised taking my face between his hands.

With a pang, I realized that this could be the last time we looked into each others eyes. The last time we held each other. I had taken eternity for granted. We weren't immortal, we were just vampires. With no words left to speak, we kissed, lingering, savoring every moment. When we pulled apart there was an almost hopeful glint in his eyes and a grin on his face.

"I love you, my frightening, little monster."

"This is not goodbye, Jazz. It's too soon to say goodbye." We would get through this. We had faced worse and slimmer odds before and had made it. Everything would be fine.

There was a job that had to be done and there was no one but us three who could do it. Jasper headed to the back of the house to join Emmett while I snuck inside, down the hall to Olivia's room.

The nightlight illuminated the dolls scattered on the floor. A pink comforter full of fairytale princesses covered the sleeping child. I sat down next to the door and prepared myself for the revolting visions.

Olivia stirred then sat up in bed. Her red curls hung in a tangled mess.

"I'm ready," she whispered. She got out of bed dressed in jeans and long sleeved shirt. It was then that I noticed a single suitcase leaning against the wall next to the closet. "I kissed them bye and told them I how much I loved them." She sniffled. "Will it be quick?"

"What?"

"When they kill them?"

I blinked several times. An eight year old shouldn't be asking these questions. Damn Edward.

"Jasper and Emmett aren't going to let them get that far," I said in such a manner that commanded her to agree with me.

"I've seen it." Tears silently fell down her rosy cheeks. "The fight outside wakes up my parents. Dad grabs his gun, Mom calls for help but it's no use. No one can stop him. There's a lot of blood. But you save me. You run off with me."

The shock of defeat held me immobile. If Olivia had foreseen me running with her, if a vampire was able to get inside the house and kill her parents, that meant….

"You'll need a jacket," I said without any emotion. "It'll be cool in Alberta."


End file.
